Life has a way of reminding us about the responsibilities that we choose to ignore. Sometimes it is better to take responsibility for our little problems before they grow into big ones.

The Twisted Wires
One day I was in need of speakers for a computer that I was repairing. I realized that I had an old pair of computer speakers in a drawer that I used to keep wires for miscellaneous purposes. Upon opening the drawer, I found the speakers at the bottom of a tangled ball of intertwined wires of various kinds. I tugged at the wires that ran from the speakers into the twisted pile, hoping to free them from the heap, but no amount of pulling would budge them; and in fact the pulling only cinched the wires more tightly together.

Unpleasant and Annoying
It was no use trying to remove the wires from the drawer in the same, easy way that I had in the past, because my previous searches by this method were the cause of the entanglement. I recalled that at one time it had been easy to retrieve items from the drawer, but that in recent attempts, a pile had begun to form, and that wires were becoming more difficult to extract. I further recalled how in the past I had considered separating the wires and organizing them neatly in the drawer, but I dismissed the thought, because it seemed unpleasant and annoying when all I wanted was to remove an item from the drawer. This time would have been no different from previous attempts, but after several episodes of rifling through the drawer and neglecting to sort out the pile, the speakers had become so tied up to the other wires, that it was impossible to remove them.

A Neglected Responsibility
My neglect of the drawer forced me to deal with a pile that was much more knotted and difficult to deal with than I hoped it would be. Others had also gone through the drawer on several occasions searching for wires in a method similar to my own, which further complicated the issue. Now, however, I was the one to blame for the mess, because I had not taken action to resolve it in the past. I was left with two choices for removing the speakers: to cut the wires, or to meticulously untie each knot from the chaotic mess. The degree of entanglement in the pile made it tempting to cut the speakers free from the pile, but it was evident that the fast and easy choices I had made in regard to the drawer were not the best or most convenient choices for the long-term. Rather than to damage the wires, which would have required additional repairs, I resolved to untie each of the wires and to organize the drawer as I should have done long ago.

Untying the Knots
As I placed the knotted pile on the floor, trying to determine where to begin, it looked even more menacing and complicated than ever, but I chose the end of a wire and began working it back through its path. The wires seemed to resist every effort of their separation with their curving black knots camouflaged in the midst of many similar wires. Tracing the wires back little by little, however, I released them from the captivating grip of the pile. It was a tedious and annoying process, but it was so, because I had failed to take action when it would have been much easier. As I freed each wire, one by one, I shook my head in regret, as I realized how much faster and less frustrating the process could have been if I had sorted the wires when I first noticed the problem. By choosing to ignore the wires as they began to tangle, I let a simple and easily solved problem turn into a complex and frustrating one.

Tending to Large and Small Responsibilities
While this is only an issue of speakers and wires, the same applies to many important aspects of our lives for which we are responsible. While some matters of responsibility may seem more significant than others, it is the way we handle our responsibilities that demonstrates how honorable and reliable we choose to be. Doing what seems easiest right now does not always mean doing what is right. Cutting corners to avoid difficulty in the present, can often result in being faced with greater struggles and unpleasant difficulties in the long run. If we develop a habit of ignoring our problems when they are small, they can grow into larger ones that are certain to regret.

Being Dependable
Being responsible means that we are answerable and accountable for what we do. Being responsible is frequently considered as being of great importance in our dealings with others, but it can be easily neglected and overlooked in ourselves. Our responsibility to others begins with the importance we place on being dependable and reliable in what we do in our own lives. Responsibility to ourselves and to others is something we learn day by day through experience, and through a desire to improve ourselves. Being responsible requires us to care about ourselves and others, and our ability to make correct choices. Ultimately being responsible means that we are answerable to ourselves and to others, and that improving ourselves is not only for our own benefit, but also for the good of the world.

Controlling our Wires
We all encounter metaphorical drawers of wire in our lives from time to time. We will commonly face issues that compel us to choose how we will handle our responsibilities. When we meet our challenges, will we address them when they are small and manageable or will we ignore them until they become twisted masses of entwined and confusing disorder? Being responsible is a life-long process of learning to abide by what we believe in. It is a matter of knowing that we are accountable to ourselves and others for everything that we do. May we all consider the wires of our lives, and choose to do what is right for now and for the future, rather than that which seems most convenient for the moment.

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Learning Something New Every Day: Learning something daily that is beneficial to our lives is a possibility, but it is not guaranteed without a conscious effort on our part.

Controlling Thoughts: Mastering our Minds and Thoughts: We evaluate ourselves based on things we do, finding joy and regret in actions, while scarcely noticing that the driving force behind them is our thoughts.

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