Sunday, April 24, 2011

Tangible Tidbits 2011 #17: When Did Courtesy, Taking Responsibility, & Accountability Go Out Of Style?

Hey, everyone! Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate these holidays. Happy Spring to everyone else! ;)

My mother told me yesterday morning that I must "attract flakes" into my life. I can't argue with her given how often people seem to blow me off. If I make plans with someone or say I will do something, I generally do it. I'm very big on keeping my word to others. That doesn't mean I'm perfect; I do occasionally forget things if I don't write them down, or if something urgent comes up I may have to cancel or postpone plans from time to time. I understand quite well that "life happens." However, I can't help but notice that I seem to be in the minority when it comes to this innate sense of responsibility toward others. Is it because people perceive me to be so "easy-going" they figure it won't bother me if they disappoint me? I can't tell you how many times in the past year or two that people have stood me up with no explanation or a lame excuse, or have dropped the ball when they agreed to do something for me. I realize that this is to some extent my own fault, as there are often no repercussions for their actions. Still, why is it that people in general seem to take others for granted and can be so self-involved that they don't feel it necessary to keep their word to other people? I've often felt like I have a different set of standards than society in general, and that I don't necessarily fit into this era. I find it hard to believe in this day and age that people haven't figured out yet that "it's not all about them." I said last month that people forget their actions affect other people. Maybe if more people thought about how their choices will affect others in their lives, life would get a lot less complicated? All I know is that I have come to expect disappointment from people I should be able to count on...both friends and family members. I don't often ask for help...I'm not comfortable asking for it, and I've learned to be pretty self-sufficient most of the time. At times like this, I am reminded why I became so self-sufficient in the first place. It seems like every time I reach out to someone for assistance, they let me down. It's very hard to be a team player when the other team members are all out for themselves. I saw a quote in today's Parade magazine by Shirley MacLaine regarding the supposed end of the world on December 12, 2012, due to the Mayan calendar ending on that date. She said, "The 2012 end date represents a cosmic choice we must each make. It really might be the end of our karmic drama, so to speak. I think we're in for some big changes, but I don't think it's the end of anything. It's a chance for new beginnings." I hope she's right because as I see it, we need all the help we can get. :p Rant over. ;)

Earlier this week, I entered to win $5,000 by creating a green shopping list as part of the eBay Green Team My Green List Earth Day contest. I don't expect to win, but it's a good way to promote the use of previously owned, resource saving, and sustainable products. :)

We found out in class last week that the MSU Metalwork & Jewelry department's end-of-semester studio opening will be this coming Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. It's a bit early this time...a lot of people in my class haven't finished their final projects yet, myself included. I will bring in the previous class projects that are finished, but I was hoping to finish the companion plate and condiment dish for my Chinese take-out box in time for the event. There's no way to have the box finished in time, so I won't even attempt that. I started the plate and dish last week and they won't take too long to do, but I need to use a drill in the studio because the Dremel I have at home takes much longer to drill through the metal and it also mars it if I'm pushing too hard on the drill because aluminum is so soft. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the studio this morning as planned, so I will most likely not have them for Tuesday. :( We still have one more class period the night of the opening, and the following week will be open studio hours during our class session, so I plan to be there as well. Everything will get done by our final critique...it just would have been nice to have more to show on Tuesday. :\

Going to my sister's for Easter dinner in a bit, so I will sign off for now. Take care and have a great week! :D
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