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Accountability

In: Other Topics

Submitted By arian2011
Words 1573
Pages 7
Arian Lucatero
Ms. Casey
English 1
1 February 2012
The Benefits of Accountability
“Where are you? Who’s with you? What are you doing? What time are you going to be home?” Don’t you hate it when your parents or significant other always seem to ask these questions? Seems like your being grilled sometimes, doesn’t it? It can be quite irritating to many of us at times; however, it’s a perfect example of the point I will be trying to convey to you, accountability.
Accountability, according to Webster’s definition is: “Being subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something; responsible; answerable.” Ultimately, it’s holding you liable for your decisions and actions. Accountability is not a quality that one innately desires to abide by, but it is something that is instilled and developed over a period of time through a variety of sources including parents, teachers, coaches and mentors. Accountability has become a value that my personal mentor has helped me to develop and I personally believe it is a value that everyone regardless of age, gender or social status should desire in order to improve their life and become a better person, someone of integrity.
Due to family situations during my adolescence that were out of my control, I didn’t always have my parents, or anyone for that matter, in my life to answer to. I didn’t have the guidance or authorities to follow that most kids are subject to. I was free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and with whomever I wanted. I never had to tell anyone what I was doing or how long I would be doing it. I had the sole responsibility of getting my exhausted body out of bed in the mornings and finding my own way to get to school. If I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort or if I “partied” to hard the night before, then I would simply just stay in bed. I could hang out with friends until I got bored and had no curfew to abide by. The money I had was the money I worked for and since I didn’t have my parents around I had full control of what I did with my money. If I decided a video game was more important than school materials, food or shoes, then I just would just buy the game and put off the “less important” stuff. Since I didn’t have to have my parent’s approval of who I hung around, I of course would find myself around “less than respectable” company most of the time. As a kid, this of course would be considered “living the dream!” However, as I grew up and realized what life was really all about, reality hit me straight in the face.
Reality hit me hard my senior year in high school and I found myself homeless with no one there or even willing to help me. I realized that facing life alone and being my own boss wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. All the freedoms that I had taken advantage of in my immaturity had left me in the worst place any teenager could find themselves. I believe God had mercy on me and intervened in my life at this point, because it was then that I met a person, a stranger in fact, that had compassion for me and saw what I truly needed. Max Lupercio, a youth and music minister at a local church, saw my need for mentorship and decided to help me by not only meeting my physical needs, as in a home, my own room and food to eat, but also my need for authority and direction. He took the role of being my mentor and inevitability the role of a dear and loyal friend whom I can still count on today and ask for guidance whenever I need it. Through his guidance and wisdom, I came to a better understanding of myself and began to form the ethical code that I now live by. Accountability is just one of many values that I learned and now hold dear, but it is the key to a successful life and is not only essential to establishing a solid foundation but the cornerstone in becoming a person of integrity.
A typical day living with my mentor consisted of me writing out my plans and tasks in advance for that day. As little as the task might be, I still had to hold myself accountable to him and I was held responsible for the time I devoted to that task. I would then have to follow it exactly and notify him immediately if there was a change in those plans. I would go to class from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, work on homework in the library from 8:00am to 10:00am. Then, I would either go home for lunch or stay on campus, and you better believe it, he wanted to know in advance what I decided to choose. I would then go back to class at 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm. Then back home to work on homework for that class. Many times I would be met at home with a pop quiz on one of the subjects I was studying so that he could tell if I was prepared like I should be for the upcoming exams. After that, I then could spend time with my girlfriend, visit with my friends or go to the gym from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Then, it was time for work from 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm. Again, if anything, no matter how big or small, changed in my schedule I would have to notify Max. He was trying to develop a sense of structure and accountability in me at an accelerated rate because he knew I would soon be out on my own on a college campus far away and would be on my own yet again, fully responsible for my own success or failure.
At first I thought this was extreme and way out of the ordinary. I mean, really, who does this? What parent holds their kid to these types of standards? I came to realize that the answer was, not many do…. That’s why our world is where its at today and why so many parents remain disconnected from their kids and kids grow up lacking ethics and respect for authority. His desire was not to control my life but to provide me with a road map to success which ultimately has led me to be a more complete, self-confident and honest person. Who doesn’t want to become like this?
Accountability is not only for the mentor/mentee or parent/child relationship. It can be developed between friends by simply letting a trustworthy friend, someone who you are confident will tell you the hard truth when need be, know where you’re going and how long you will be there and who you’ll be with. They may be able to give you advice on how to deal with a situation if it arises or remind you of an upcoming homework assignment you had completely forgotten is due the next day. Who knows? Maybe you get in an accident on the way home on some rural street and since they didn’t get your call when you said you would, they know to look for you. This practice could have actually just saved your life! Just like when you’ve asked a peer to proofread a paper you’re writing and they find mistakes you failed to catch, the same application can be made to your daily life.

For example, I have committed myself to sexual purity before marriage, so when I decide to go out on a date I tell my friend Roman, “Hey bro, I’m going on a date tonight with Jessica at 6:00 pm. We’ll be at Adventure Park till 7:30 pm, The Vintage Press for dinner by 8:00pm and I’ll drop her off at home by 9:30. I’ll hit you up at 9:45 pm to let you know when I get home. If I don’t call you by 10:00 pm., then hit me up to check to see if all’s okay. I may need the extra strength tonight, if you know what I mean. Thanks for looking out, bro!” This doesn’t mean that I’m asking for permission or that I need Roman’s approval of what I will be doing; it’s simply a way of keeping me accountable for the vow I made towards purity. Imagine if more young people chose this route, maybe the wild spread of stds and/or teen pregnancy would decline substantially. Just a thought…. When were the ones in the middle of the situation we can’t always see the big picture and even if we do it’s always better to hedge your bets.
Whatever your goal may be, trying to achieve it without accountability will decrease your chances and just make it that much more difficult. Whether it is getting an A on your paper, graduating from college, staying sexually pure, overcoming drug addiction, gambling, or even overcoming the temptation to hang around bad influences, having someone there to help you and hold you accountable of your actions will definitely improve your chances for success. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

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