Not My Job

Not My Job

The other day (and by that I mean “a few months ago”) I was shopping at World Market when I took a puzzle off of a display to see if it was suitable for my niece and nephews.  After looking it over, I decided to put it back on the shelf but I couldn’t get it to stand up without falling over because the shelf was a bit slanted.  When it had fallen a couple times, a lady who was shopping near me said “oh, don’t pick that up, that’s not your job.”  I gave a curtesy smile and she walked away.  

Immediately after she had shared her opinion with me, a negative chord was struck.  Was she serious?  Are we too busy Christmas shopping that we can’t bother to return items in the way we retrieved them?  Whose job should it be, if not my own, to replace the puzzle to it’s rightful place because I was the person who “de-shelve” it in the first place?  (I’m sure we’ve all been there, myself included, “I don’t want to go all the way to the other side of the store, so I’ll just set this luffa next to the mac n cheese.”  Insert any two items there.) 

A little perturbed and downhearted (perhaps more so than I needed to be) I was finally able to stand the puzzle up in the position I had found it and continued on my journey of finding the perfect gift for my wee ones.  

But, my interaction with that lady (who probably meant well and is indeed a kind-hearted woman) left a sour taste in my mouth the rest of the afternoon.  

Have we become too lazy, too entitled, too above picking up our own messes that we expect others to clean up after us?  Has this become the mindset of us as Americans in the 21st century?  

I couldn’t help but try and think of times where I have walked passed a spill, some trash or strewn objects and thought to myself, “meh, the janitor will take care of it.  That’s what they’re paid for, right?”  Or in my younger years thinking, “that’s why I have a mom, right?” and "I'll just blame it on the little brother" (sorry, Evan).

I think we can all relate in some way to this way of thinking.  Perhaps we would think better of it later, but our initial thoughts are not always as generous. 

No, it’s not my “job” to clean up a spill when I see someone (or myself…let’s be honest, I’m made of butter fingers and sticky feet; don’t read into that last one…I’m a fairly clean person, I just trip a lot) spill their drink or topple over a display in the grocery store isle.  Some very studious and responsible store clerk is very capable of doing that, as well as get paid for it.  But my question is, why not just take a couple minutes to help?  Why instantly assume that someone else will clean it up?  Or, not in a grocery store where there are clerks in nearly every isle, but in a park, or a parking lot, or walking down the street?  Who’s “responsibility” is it then?  Perhaps there are janitors that help clean the parks and tidy up, but why not you? 

Recently, Ben (my adoring husband) took me to the east coast to see Wicked on Broadway (a very exciting item on my bucket list).  While we were in NYC (I have been 3 times now, and I always love visiting the city) I could not help but notice how dirty some parts were.  And really for no better reason but that the residents (and tourists I’m sure) were not very adamant about throwing the trash inside the receptacle versus laying on the ground beside it.  But what was interesting was that when we went to Boston, also a quite large metropolitan area, it was nearly spotless.  And, to my surprise, there were way fewer trash cans on the sidewalks.  So, why was it so tidy?? I think the difference was was that people cared.  The residents of the Boston metro area actually take pride in the way their city looks and they invest the time that it takes to keep it clean.  Now, I’m not trying to point fingers at the residents of NYC, I quite enjoy visiting there, but for illustration purposes, help me out.  

My point.  

Personal responsibility.  I may be tapping into a very debatable topic here, but I hope you stay with me.  When did we become a culture that says “oh, just let somebody else take care of that.” Or, “that isn’t your problem”, or “just let someone else take the blame for that, don’t worry yourself over it”.   I know I am just as guilty as the next person so this is really just me figuring out an area that I need/can grow in.  

I get it.  We’re busy.  We’re stressed.  We’re lazy.  We have a lot going on and don’t have the time to help clean something up that we didn’t have anything to do with.  Or we did have something to do with and are just letting someone else with a title do it for us.  

I guess, I don’t want to be a person that sits by and lets someone else do a job that I’m capable of doing.  Whether it’s my responsibility or someone else’s.  I want to be the type of person that jumps up at the opportunity to help my neighbor, no matter the inconvenience to me or my schedule.  I want to care enough about my city, grocery store, my job, my friends to go out of my way to clean it up and fill a need wherever that may be.  To see a need and fill it.  To love my neighbor when they need it.  To serve someone else when it’s not necessarily comfortable for me to do so.  

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.  And because of that I want my character and my actions to reflect that of Jesus.  To care about what he cares about.  To love my neighbor no matter what the cost (my image? my time? my reputation? my job?).

So, the next time you see a piece of trash sitting next to the trash can, why not pick it up?  Or see someone spill something in the isle of the grocery store, help them pick it up and don’t wait for someone else to do their job.  

Because, no, it’s not your job, but I think that’s the point.