"She is a really responsible person." "He doesn't take responsibility for his actions." "She was responsible for the accident." How many times have we heard statements similar to these? A definition of responsible might be accountable, reliable, dependable, or trustworthy. Based on my observations and experiences, I believe many people have a problem translating that into their everyday lives. If something bad happens, it must be someone else's fault, or someone should have to pay. A few months ago, I was involved in my first car accident. I think it's pretty remarkable that this was my first accident, considering that I've been driving for almost thirty years. The accident itself was pretty traumatic. I was at a complete stop behind two cars that were turning left, when a large van traveling at about thirty-five mph rear-ended my car. I was fortunate to escape with only some large bruises and a very sore knee; however, the car didn't fare quite as well. What was more amazing than the accident itself were the actions of the young man who ran into my car. Instead of taking responsibility for his actions, he lied to the police and to his insurance company about the events that took place. His version was that he was driving behind me when I ran into the car in front of me, then bounced back into his van. Perhaps if he'd had more time he might have been able to concoct a more credible story, one that actually made sense. In the end, the police and his insurance company saw through his lies and everything was taken care of. But in the meantime, my car was towed away and I was left with no car. What's amazing to me is that he never got out of his van to see if anyone was injured, and he never apologized for smashing two cars and causing me the inconvenience of being without a car for five weeks while the damage was repaired. Several months ago, there was a tragic fire near the Quad Cities. Unfortunately, two young children lost their lives when one of them started a fire in their apartment. It was announced on television a few weeks ago that the mother of these two children is suing the owners of the apartment building as well as a cigarette lighter manufacturer. According to news broadcasts, the police report states that the mother left the two children alone in the apartment while she visited a friend in a nearby apartment building, and while she was away, one of the children started the fire with the aforementioned lighter. There were smoke detectors in the apartment; however, someone had removed the batteries. Excuse me, but why isn't this the mother's fault? Why did she leave two young children alone in an apartment? Why did she leave a cigarette lighter within the reach of her children? Why is that when people do stupid, irresponsible things, someone else should pay for their actions? Responsibility means a lot of things. If you broke it, fix it. If you took it out, put it back. If you were given an assignment, do it. If you did something wrong, be a man (or woman), admit to it, and take responsibility for it.