Moser: Dependability Counts as Some try to Shrink their Responsibilities

Opinion

Are you a responsible person? Do you get to work on time, meet your obligations, take care of friends and family, keep up your property, call your mother and pay your bills on time?

If yes, then you probably are a responsible person!

Sometimes I find myself wondering if people have lost their sense of responsibility.

Here’s an example: Have you ever seen small children in your neighborhood who were outside, unsupervised, running out into the street, dashing out from between cars, or riding their bikes in the middle of the road? The first thought that flashes through my mind is, “Oh, Dear God, protect them!” As soon as my heart slows to a normal pace, the next thought follows, “Where are the parents? That child could have been killed?”

Do you think those children, unsupervised, denote irresponsible behavior on behalf of the parents?(Actually very few child pedestrians are killed by vehicles in comparison to other causes of childhood death. That’s likely a topic for another day.)

All right, try this one: You never leave your shopping cart in the middle of the lot or in a parking space. You always dutifully walk your cart back to the corral. (If you don’t do that, quit reading here. You are most decidedly NOT a responsible person!) What happens if you see someone else’ cart in the middle of the lot or in a parking space? Do you take that cart back to the corral where it belongs, or do you think, “Well, I didn’t put it there, so I’m not taking it back!”

Declaring yourself a responsible person is not an easy task! Through the years, the idea of responsibility seems to have shifted. It often seems to me that people go to extravagant measures to shirk their responsibilities. I realize there are lots of extenuating circumstances why someone may be unable to meet their obligations, like medical conditions or disability may make it impossible for someone to work and earn a living or pay their bills. I’m sure I could name lots more reasons why someone may be excused from their obligations, but for brevity we’ll move along.

I read two stories this week that prompted this train of thought. The first was an article declaring Louis Osbourne (Ozzy Osbourne’s son) declared bankruptcy. He’s 38 years old, and while he didn’t state his reasons, he looks pretty healthy to me! I think it would be irresponsible to ask his very wealthy parents to give him money, but to avoid bankruptcy, I think it would be perfectly all right to ask for a low interest loan from Ozzy and Sharon, as long as Louis Osbourne would be paying that back.

Then, I read Michelle Singletary’s column in the Washington Post on Oct.11. She told of a couple who have struggled to pay off their bills through devastating health problems and job loss. It took them many years, but they were rewarded with knowing they paid their debts. (They were also honored as client of the year by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling)

Their story is remarkable and encouraging. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read Ms. Singletary’s column and then watch this video of Wendall and Linda Ramage. They are definitely my heroes and if I gave an award, it would be for “The Most Responsible People.”