BEING RESPONSIBLE IS DIFFICULT
What is responsibility? I think that
responsibility is knowing what’s right, and preventing others from doing wrong,
no matter how it affects you. Weighing your options and considering them
carefully, choosing the one which is best. Keeping your possessions neatly
where you can find them easily if needed. Not trying to shirk your duty – doing
as much as you can, not just skimming the surface.
This is why I feel that being responsible is
quite difficult. In other words, stopping the impulse to do something crazy and
reckless is hard. “Don’t go near the swimming pool, it’s not safe”, I’ll say,
although I want to jump into the cool, refreshing water myself. Since I am the
eldest child in my apartment, I am entrusted with quite a lot of
responsibility.
Some of the adults compare me with their
children, which I really don’t like. They say, “Look, Sara is listening to her
mother”, or “Put your sweater on! See, Sara is wearing her sweater”. This is
one reason why being responsible is difficult. I feel a bit uncomfortable as I
don’t want to be considered prissy and perfect. I’m not a “good girl”, that is
for sure. However, I can be responsible if I try.
Responsibility is a crucial quality in life and I
know that I should develop it now. Some of the smaller children are only
allowed on the terrace without an adult if I am there. I have to “keep an eye”
on these children. Since I feel quite grown up doing this, I do it to the best
of my ability. Push them on the swing. Run after them. Steer them away from the
swimming pool. Through it all I have a lot of fun!
However, sometimes even this responsibility is
tough. Once I was asked to look after two little boys. Without their mother to
rein them in, both Ryaan and Nabeel ran wild. They disobeyed everything I said.
“Come back here!” I called frantically to Nabeel, who insisted on running near
the swimming pool. When their mother arrived, I was breathless and very
annoyed.
Responsibility – I have gotten used to it and
sometimes I even enjoy it. I feel proud that adults trust me with their
children. It’s nice to know that I’m the “big girl”. I feel good when I realize that adults want their
children to follow my example. Yes, there are plus points to being responsible,
too.
However, some people think that I can shoulder an
enormous amount of responsibility. They forget that I’m still a child, and
sometimes I just want to have fun. During my friend’s birthday party I was
asked to make sure no – one littered. I told them not to, but they didn’t
listen. I ended up clearing their trash. I had to do it all myself. I felt that
this was quite unfair.
Another time, I was told to take care of Carol,
an energetic four – year – old girl who just wouldn’t keep still. I didn’t know
Carol at all. She was a stranger, a guest at someone else’s party. Her parents
were no – where to be seen. My
friends and I made sure she was safe and within our sights. When the party was
over, we found Carol’s parents, and delivered her to them.
A horrible incident once happened in my
apartment. It concerned a very badly behaved boy. He kept on doing nasty things
to others and the problem worsened each day. Finally no – one wanted to play
with him anymore. I was brought before his mother, who scolded me badly. Why?
She did it because I was the oldest. I was shocked and extremely upset that she
had raised her voice to me. I ran away as fast as I could.
So this is another reason why being responsible
is extremely difficult. What about my possessions? Well, that’s a whole
different story…
My study table is so cluttered that I cannot find
anything on it. “Oh no, where is my physics worksheet?” I exclaimed in dismay
one morning. Where was it? I had to find it before going to school, because I
had to submit it that day.
I dug through piles of stuff on my study table,
shoving books aside, sifting through useless, dry color pens, fingers barely
escaping the shards of a broken ruler. I’m so clumsy and disorganized, and I
couldn’t find my physics worksheet! At last I retrieved it from under a
mountain of loose papers. “There it is!” I cried out, very relieved.
Hear me out on this one.My mother had a watch, a really beautiful one,
strung with small, milky – white pearls and a delicate silver clasp. I coveted
that watch, and thought it was so elegant. Then one day my mother said that I
could have the watch! I was delighted beyond words. I immediately slipped it
onto my hand. Every so often I would glance at it, looking at the tiny, silver,
ticking hands that told me the time. I was so thrilled to own such a wonderful
watch!
Calamity struck two days later. I was at a
friend’s house, wearing that lovely watch. We were sitting on the bed and
playing a game. Absentmindedly, I fiddled with the watch. I took hold of one of
the pearl strands and twisted it around my finger. The string was frail, and it
snapped. The precious pearls clattered to the ground, and the dial fell on the
bed.
“Oh, no!” I wailed, close to tears. “My watch!
How could I have been so careless?” The watch was broken and could not be
repaired. I was so disappointed! I had
no – one to blame but myself. My mother, seeing how sad and guilty I was
feeling, did not scold me.
So there are good and bad sides to being
responsible. In my opinion, you should enjoy the positive side and accept the
negative side. Only then, responsibility will seem easier. Now I’ve finished,
so I am going to put my papers away like a responsible girl!
THE END
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