Fading Responsability

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Last week I was ready to go to work, but just as I was about to walk out the door it started raining cats and dogs outside. I thought the rain would be quick, but it turned into two straight hours of waiting, during which I even had the chance to take a short nap.

It would have been easy to get there if I had my own car, but in Cuba owning a car is a privilege, and besides, fuel is extremely scarce. So when the rain eased a little, I said goodbye to my wife and left with my umbrella in hand. Once at the hospital, I found my night-shift colleagues who still hadn’t been able to leave totheir homes. They had already handled part of the cases that were supposed to be mine.

While I was at home, I felt uneasy about not being able to get to work. I can’t stand going there, but just knowing that I have a job, and above all, that there are people (patients) who might be waiting for me, makes me uncomfortable. So it was a relief to finally arrive, even if I got a little wet along the way.

This kind of mental trauma I owe to my parents. It all goes back to when I had to go to school. The only way I could stay home was if there was a tropical cyclone warning. Otherwise, my parents forced me or took me themselves to the school. Maybe I didn’t like the idea, but I think that’s what makes me so responsible today about getting to work early or not using the rain as an excuse.

Nowadays children aren’t taught that kind of responsibility. That same day I barely saw any children going to school. For reasons much lighter than that, they aren’t forced to go. Just a few clouds in the sky are enough for parents to decide their kids should stay home.

The damage we’re doing is twofold. On one hand, we’re preventing new generations from being educated and becoming the replacement we’ll need when we’re older. On the other, we’re also guaranteeing a full production of lazy and irresponsible people who will always have excuses to avoid doing their duty. Or they simply won’t be able to move forward much when they face even the smallest obstacle in their path.

My colleagues must also have had good parents in the past, because they didn’t wait for me to arrive before starting in the Operating Room. They did my work while I wasn’t there, and I’ve done the same when the situation was reversed. I don’t think our children will do the same in the future. If we don’t teach them to be responsible, we’ll keep losing the good habits we may still treasure today.

We don’t have to be as strict as our parents, but I think we can tighten the screw a little with our children. We have to prevent them from turning into butter.

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_{English isn't my native language. Text translated with Copilot}

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