I recently watched a segment of a show called The World’s Strictest Parents. Every episode documents the journey of two unruly teens from different families who are sent off for a week to a family in another part of the world. They are forced to adapt to the rules and regulations of very strict host parents. In this particular episode, two British teens were sent to Lebanon. They sneaked in vodka into the school they were attending, giving some of the Lebanese youngsters a taste of British freedom! The Principal of the school asked them to write an essay on the topic ‘Why Bother?’ The boy refused to do this, saying he didn’t feel like it and ‘Why bother?’
A couple of days later, the boy visited a care home for children who had been abused and abandoned. Listening to their stories and working with them, brought a change of heart. He visited the home again and offered his services to repair bikes – a skill he realized they didn’t have but needed.
He went back to school and submitted a lovely essay, sharing that through his interactions with the children he realized how easy he had things, and he had to bother to make a difference!
Why Bother?
For some reason this boy’s change of heart struck me. From not caring about his behaviour and actions, he went to realizing how his choices could make a difference to others.
accountability : “the quality or state of being accountable, especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER Dictionary
We are accountable to the world for our actions. Our choices and behaviour affect the lives of others. It’s important that we make good choices, not only for ourselves but for those we’re responsible for – our family, our friends, our community.
In today’s world, it’s easy to give up on doing good and become cynical. If other people are not following the rules, we ask ourselves, ‘Why bother?’ But that’s the coward’s way out. Despite how difficult it is, we need to do what’s right for ourselves and the world.
What if we had to give an account each night before we went to sleep of the one thing that we did to make life brighter for someone else?
Catherine Pulsifer
Joining Kate Mataung for Five Minute Friday. Today’s prompt is : accountability
Corinne,
Lovely musing here. It is amazing how daily life shifts when viewed through that lens, right?
On another note, that sounds like a pretty wild show.
Thanks for this post. Such an eye-opener. Inspiring.
Indeed, we need to bother. We might not be able to do a lot, but even a small bit might go a long way.
Pradeep Nair recently posted..India in Olympics
This is so true, Corinne. We all need to do our own part to make better choices that have a more positive or helpful impact on the people and communities around us. No matter how small it is or even if we are one of the hand few of people who are being responsible, somewhere, it does make a difference.
Shinjini recently posted..How to live a meaningful life
Couldn’t agree more, Corinne! We are certainly accountable for our actions, because good or bad, either way, we will leave an impact on others around us. I loved the story you shared about the boys and it was interesting how things changed when the boy visited the care home and had a change of heart. Being strict doesn’t always work with teenagers. Building empathy instead, obviously works better.
This post reminds me of the ending words in The Lorax by Dr.Seuss
” Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It’s not”