I was called selfish a lot as I was growing up, and we all know that was never intended as a compliment, but I have a different viewpoint on the phrase, “You’re selfish!”
I’ll just give you a few examples of the things I did that gained me the title of a selfish person at times. I never meant it in that way. As a matter of fact, I called myself ‘being responsible.’
As a young girl, I was fortunate enough to receive a doll at Christmas time. Of course, I loved all of them, but I was extra proud of the ones that could do stuff like cry or roll their head or open and close their eyes. I took extra-special care of them.
Most of my playmates took care of their dolls as well as I did, so I’d share all of my dolls with them. I found out the hard way that some would lay them on a dirty or wet ground and get their clothes dirty or even stained, or remove their socks and could only find one at the end of playtime.
After a devastation such as that, I wouldn’t let them play with my nicer dolls when they came over again. Of course, I was told what a selfish person I was because I wouldn’t give them the doll they wanted. In that case, being selfish turned out to be a good thing, because I still have a few of those dolls.
Around age 10 or 11, I would lend and borrow books among some of my friends. Now, I had rules that I’d ask of someone before I would let them borrow a book. No corners turned down, no pages folded, and no writing or marking of any kind were those rules.
Needless to say, if a book was returned in such a condition, I’d get mad and hurt and point out what they had done. Of course, anyone who has no respect for others’ property or personal belongings could care less about what you say to them until they ask again. Then the apologies start rolling off their tongue when you say ‘no.’ My stuff just meant too much to me to give someone a second chance.
So for those reasons I was called selfish. If that is what selfish means, then I will have to say I was selfish then and still am now.
A few days ago, I got to thinking about all this and started asking myself if there was possibly a fine line between being selfish and being responsible.
Well, what do you think about this?
For right now, the only thing else I have to say is:
Until later......
