Responsibility Blues

One of the puzzling aspects of American culture is this negative reaction toward responsibility. It's not negative in the sense that people don't live up to their responsibilities, though there's that, too. It's like this; our teachers, our parents, and just about any figure of authority that wants to scapegoat someone else always moans about "people living up to their responsibilities." They complain and shake their fingers and lecture that we have "responsibilities" we must live up to before we go off and have fun.

Well, all true, but rather negatively phrased don't you think?

not all responsibilities have to be a torment. The ones that require us to go off the the dentist to have our children's teeth drilled into are not what I mean... but taking out the garbage, cooking, cleaning, are all things that I actually enjoy on occasion. If on everyone given time people will dump all the housework on me and go off to play nintendo and leave me by myself; on those occasions maybe responsibility sucks. If everyone pitches together and works as one, discusses the day, tells jokes, and gets into a community spirit; those occasions are the best.

So, if not all responsibilities are a chore, why don't we start talking up Responsibility and sell it as something that can be fun?

American might not have such a weak dollar today if we had done that.