On My Soap Box, 3

I would like to know the definition of the word "accountability". I think most people have forgotten its meaning, at least as it applies to personal accountability. It's everyone else's fault but our own. We are constantly pointing fingers and take no responsibility for our own actions. This really grates on my nerves.

Is it really a restaurant's fault that we do not know what a normal serving looks like or what constitutes a healthy meal? Do we need to be told the coffee is hot and we should be careful? And if we aren't careful, we can sue the restaurant because we don't know how to drive and drink coffee at the same time. Isn't the act of driving our only responsibility at the time?

If I choose to indulge in a Big Mac every day I can now sue the company for making high-calorie burgers. It's no longer necessary for me to assume that my diet is my responsibility. Oh no. The restaurant has made me fat and has clogged my arteries to the point that I have shortened my life span, and someone other than me needs to pay the damages.

And what about our kids? They are perfect, of course, and the teachers and the police and anyone else who attempts to correct them will end up in court. If Little Johnny brings a gun to school, can the school be blamed for a lack of stronger security measures? It wouldn't surprise me. I remember the "old days" when teachers were right and the child had to prove their innocence to their parents. Somehow, parents have become blind to the actions of their young. They don't want to be accountable. Rather than raising them with a healthy respect for authority, it's easier to encourage bad behavior by blaming someone else. The children grow up and continue the process because they have never learned to be held accountable for their own actions.

If we make a mistake we should make it right or suffer the consequences. We shouldn't point the blame elsewhere. So many lawsuits end up in court when they have no business to be there. If fast food restaurants want to grill their high-calorie foods, let them. We have a choice. We can go there and indulge, or opt for foods that are high in fiber and nutrition. If we are a slave to a certain food or habit, we need to look in the mirror and point a finger. No one forced us into that situation.

It's lunch time and I'm heading out to buy a junior burger and fries. If I tip the scales tomorrow or end up in cardiac arrest over it, I will be held accountable. I could have chosen oatmeal.