Part of my daily meditation routine is reading from two daily meditation readers. I have quite a collection of them, so which readers I view in any given round varies allot. This one is from "Meditations for People Who Worry" by Anne Wilson Schaff.

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Taking Responsibility

I enjoy my wrinkles and regard them as badges of distinction. I worked hard for them ~Maggie Kuhn

Maggie Kuhn was an interesting and challenging woman. She was a study in contrast and surprises. When I knew her, she looked like a petite, delicate cameo, and she was one of the most radical people I ever met. The Maggie I knew always took responsibility for her life.

Taking responsibility for our lives is not easy in this culture. We are trained to be victims. At some subtle level,  no matter how we have turned out, it is someone else's fault --perhaps, of course, are always a good focus, and perhaps teachers, relatives, schools, the church, and the world in general gets their share of the blame, too.

It's important to remember that we cannot help what has happened to us and many of us have had bad to horrible experiences. If we want to spend our lives focusing on others and what they have done to us, we can look forward to a miserable life. Whatever has happened to us, it is *our* experience. *Our* experiences are the raw materials to build a life. What we build with them is up to us.

When we recognize that we worked hard for who we are --wrinkles and all-- we are on the road to being who we can be.

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Just sharing. Now open for general discussion.

Most of my shrinks seem to be in agreement that I take this notion wa-a-a-ay too far, to a hideously over-developed sense of responsibility. If there is a child starving on another continent, it must be my fault and it is up to me to see that child is fed. Where's my spiffy spandex superhero costume? Is my supercape freshly starched to withstand high altitude turbulence? Arfinator to the rescue. I am off to let them have my lunch. I'll be back at my desk after *they* are fed. The Arf don't need lunch. This morning I wonder if my warped drive to save the world mostly promotes this cultural undercurrent of "Poor, little victim."

Just pondering. Ponder along, if you wish.