I’m involved in several situations; at work, at church and in life, that “require” some level of ownership. At a basic level, these “things” are project based. “What should we do about…?” is the common question. And it requires a response. Not a direct response to the question. The question is really secondary to the situation. The primary question… “do I even care?”
Now before I launch (once again) into some apathetic diatribe of philosophical thinking, let me explain.
Caring is often followed by a long series of “ughs” in my life. It immediately sparks a wave of back-and-forth thought processes. “Should I get involved?” is followed by “What will happen if I DON’T get involved?” My strategic mind goes to work and I find myself in the middle of an(other) opportunity to make a choice.
Life has a way of finding the “extra medium”. People take the least restrictive method and force themselves to not be challenged. Or, at times, they have no clue ABOUT being challenged. The end result is the absolute goal. No thought needs to be put into HOW we get there. That “how”… That’s the caring part.
So I do ask myself the question, if the result is (ultimately) the same, why does the “how” even matter? Does it matter to just me? Am I just supporting my own personal bent (hangups!)? If my “caring” only serves my self-satisfaction, why should I bother?
Perhaps I need counseling.
I care because I think it DOES matter. Not just to me. But to the surrounding world, though “they” may not wish to admit it. So, I often get involved in things. Too many things. Unfortunately, a part of the “Funk Curse” is seeing a need and then doing what we can to fill that need. However, I need to learn that saying “no” can be a form of caring, just the same.
Caring also leads to the issue of expectations. That’s a whole other subject…
