responsibility

What can I say. Every single staff member involved with the grade eight students was at an assembly today.

All of them. Why?

To talk to us about behaviour. To say that our disrespect has to stop. To try and make us feel responsibility towards the school, and our own education. To make us go to the office with problems.

Here are a few of the rules they discussed: no violence-they went into a bit of detail, listen to teachers the first time, etc.

The dress code at our school is mostly fine. You know what I don't agree with? Sure, it's for learning, no short skirts, no tops too low, and no bra straps. What I don't like is the office providing shirts that are horrendously looked after. It's our right to wear it, and it's possible to have a bad day and forget about the code. Remind us, and we'll be OK the next day; only if it becomes a repetitive problem...

Today I read an article about women who have given up their uteruses to Jesus. These “Quiverfull” parents aim to bear six or more children, rejecting all forms of birth control as a defiance of Christ’s divine power over women’s reproduction capabilities. “Our bodies are meant to be a living sacrifice” states one family, and their children are future soldiers in God’s army.

I just completely freaked out, because I was supposed to babysit for free today for a school function, and I forgot about it and didn't go. Luckily, the same function is happening again in a few days, so I can make up for it. But it got me thinking on responsibility.

I want to be able to do charity work, and maybe start an organization one day. The problem is, I have to be organized to actually be in an organization. I can't keep shirking on things that I commit to, like even though I'll be babysitting on again to make up for it, I'll have to miss another responsibility- dance class. When I was sick a few days ago, my mom asked if I was absolutely sure I didn't want to go to school, as the people we carpool with would be inconvienienced. Now that I'm in high school, priorities and commitments are going to be a lot more prevalent, and I can't ignore them. When people are counting on me, I've got to go.

I decided I was through with listening without speaking. So I spoke up.

On a routine trip to the grocery store, a man mumbled a comment under his breath as I walked by and then proceeded to follow me to the dairy where a worker was stocking milk. I didn't say anything since I could hear the man's words, but he raised his voice to speak to the stocker. "She's built," was all he got out before I realized I was so furious that I was shaking. The acquiescing noises from the stocking guy only made it worse. Before I even realized what I was doing, I had turned around and excused myself (why? I wasn't doing anything wrong). "I'm standing right here."