Entitlement and Responsibility

Just an observation on “entitlement” and responsibility

I was looking closely at my spending today.

Truth before we moved in here I watched my spending very closely. This is such a nice neighborhood that I began to covet nicer things. I began to feel as if because the neighborhood was nice, everything I own must be brand new.

It's a funny conundrum because not one year ago I was a serious bargain-hunter and had no trouble shopping at thrift stores.... until now. I took the money my husband gave me for winter clothes (knowing full well we now have a mortgage) and for the same amount of money with which I could have bought 3 skirts and sweater at a thrift store in decent condition... I instead bought a brand new jacket. It's a very nice jacket but I have done myself successfully out of winter clothes... simply over status quo.

Until I moved here I never understood the how addicting “keeping up with the Jones” is. Not even what it meant really. But once put in a prettier situation... I caved to luxury and lost all practical thought. I became part of the “entitlement crowd,” in my own way simply because my ego got out of control. Shame on me!

Now you will say, “Oh Angel give yourself a break! You made a bad decision... so what?' But it IS a big thing that I feel has gotten out of control. We make bad decisions, give ourselves a break.... and then don't have to take responsibility for said action! Ergo, no work on changing that behavior, ergo an excuse to do it again later, ergo a good reason to sit the pity pot when we don't have something!

I want now to address something very controversial... the outrage I feel about frivolous law suits. I see people suing fast food places because they got fat and suing tobacco companies because they chose to smoke. To me this is insanity! Just because a product is put in front of you does not mean you are forced by law to buy or consume it!

The way I feel is that, if I go to a casino, gamble away my money, my husband's car, my kid's college fund.... the casino doesn't OWE me anything! I made the choice to gamble with my life. Therefore it is my responsibility to take the lumps I earned. That, to me, is what being a grown-up is all about.

Now I did not want to belittle anyone or make anyone feel as if their troubles aren't important. I am quite sure they are horrible problems. I am only saying that if we do not ever bother to take responsibility for our own actions, bad decisions and so on, we do not, learn, change, or grow.

Remember that when we point our finger at the rest of the world, there are still 3 fingers pointing back at us.

That's my side of it,

Angel