Responsibility

Whether it's neurosis, being the first-born child, or a combination of the two, I've always had a large sense of responsibility.
When I was in school, if the teacher posed a question to the class -- to which we should have known the answer from yesterday's reading -- I always felt it was up to me to answer.

I felt that I was letting the teacher down if I didn't answer. Someone should sure as heck answer, and if no one else did, it was down to me.

At my last job, I somehow became the one people turned to when the copier was acting up. I like to figure out the way things work, and I pretty much knew that copier inside out.

Even if I saw someone across the room having trouble, I would go over and help them.

I also helped others on the copy desk finish their assignments. No one else seemed disposed to offer any assistance.

At my current job, I've made myself responsible for organizing the large number of faxes that stream into the office every day.

People were going through the pile, looking for something they were expecting. Everything else just got tossed onto the counter.

I also make it a point to postpone my own lunch, because everyone else just streams out of the office around noon, leaving only me to answer the phone.

I'm alone in the office right now, in fact. If more than one person calls at the same time, it's going to be a mess!