Why, oh why, is everything someone else's fault?


So you get to work late and it's not your fault because you got stuck in traffic. Your kids act out in school but it's not your fault that you don't have enough time to spend with them because you have to work so much. Your house is full of a bunch of crap because you don't have the time or inclination to throw anything away, but that's not your fault because you're just too exhausted/emotionally attached/busy to get rid of anything or clean up after yourself.


I think if I hear the phrase, "It's not my fault!" one more time, I'm going to go all the way to insane. It's not that far from here.


I'm not trying to say that I have no faults. I do, and just as many or more than everyone else. The difference is this: It IS my fault. I acknowledge, accept and embrace it (probably a little too much, but that's what cake is for).


I am fat because I've eaten too much and not exercised enough my whole life. I am tired for the same reasons, plus the fact that I've decided I need to read my book instead of going to sleep at night. I have less money than I would like because I chose to go into a field I love, rather than taking a full-time job that would pay much more. I will take the blame for that every time.


Can we all just ban the phrase, "It's not my fault!"?


You notice I put an exclamation mark in there. The indignant nature of the statement kind of demands that extra oomph at the end.


I'm not saying we should all be self-hating or anything like that. I just wish we could all be grown-ups (those of us who are grown-ups) and admit our mistakes and problems without trying to find someone else to share in the blame. (If you're nine, you can disregard this. Go ahead and blame other people. That's part of being a kid. If you have a sibling, it's kind of the law that you have to blame them for every bad thing that happens. This prepares you for life in the workplace.)


I think I'm going to go around taking all the blame for everybody today. I will revel in my martyr-ness and be the bad guy. Maybe it will make me a better person and I can actually learn from situations that suck, rather than just saying, "It's not my fault!" and choosing to disregard the problem that caused the issue in the first place. Or maybe it will just add to my smug sense of self-satisfaction and moral superiority. You know, whatever.


Where did people grumble before blogs? This is fantastic.