Within any friend group, each person assumes a certain "role". Sometimes that role is being the most chill or the most extra. Other times, someone is the most sarcastic or the loudest. Then there's always that one friend who runs off and gets lost. I'm the friend who goes looking for that lost friend, AKA, the most responsible one.
1. You're always the most prepared of the group.
Snacks? Check. Backpack or purse to hold your belongings (along with everyone else's)? Check. Extra EVERYTHING (because just in case)? Double check. Your friends usually don't even think about bringing anything because they know you'll have them covered.
2. Everyone trusts to you to be the adult.
Whether it's booking a reservation, driving halfway across the state or simply knowing where everyone's things are, you're always the first one asked to take care of things.
3. You stress over little things that no one else cares about.
What if you leave 10 minutes later than you planned and run into terrible traffic and then you miss that snorkeling trip you've been looking forward to for weeks? While you're freaking out internally, everyone else is chilling.
4. For you, being on-time is actually being late.
ideally, you prefer to arrive somewhere 15 minutes ahead of schedule. But just barely getting there a minute before the scheduled time stresses you out big time.
5. Having fun comes second to making sure everyone and everything is okay.
You can sense a dangerous or bad situation from a mile away. So while everyone is having fun, you're on the lookout for something to go wrong. It's like your own personal superpower.
6. You're always the one dealing with authority figures.
Cops, security guards, managers, parents, you name it. If it involves some sort of serious or complicated conversation, you're the one doing the talking. You've perfected the charming, "We're not doing anything wrong" voice, along with keeping your composure when thrown any curveballs.
7. You also double as the planner.
If you're the responsible one, you're also probably the one that sets up the schedule. You make sure everyone is up in time for activities and you strategically plan everything in a way that allows you to get the most out of your day.
8. You sometimes wish you weren't so reliable.
Yeah, it's great that everyone can count on you. However, it gets pretty tiring when you're the only one with your shit together.
9. You get angry when people tell you to "chill out" or "have fun".
For starters, I was having fun. Maybe our ideas of "fun" don't match up. Second, saying "c'mon, just chill" or "relax" or anything remotely synonymous will guarantee I won't be having any more fun. Sorry for being responsible, someone has to do it (and I know it won't be you).
10. While everyone is trying to piece together the previous night, you know damn well exactly what went down.
You wake up to the sound of your friends groaning and complaining about their heads pounding. One of them looks to the other and says, "What even happened last night?". A small smirk creeps up on your face because you remember every little detail about the night. Now you have to decide whether or not it's worth sharing with your friends.
11. You always stand your ground, regardless of your friend's opinions on the matter.
Part of being the responsible one is speaking up when you feel like things are heading south. Unfortunately, it's hard to get that message across to your friends, especially when they're determined to do whatever it is you know you shouldn't be doing.
12. Whenever you're not apart of the group, something bad always happens.
I hate missing out on plans with my friends because of work or some other obligation, but I can always count on getting a text or Snapchat a few hours later about something that went down. You know that if you were there, that something most likely would never have happened.
13. You have a love/hate relationship with being the most responsible.
On one hand, you know you can trust yourself to get you and your friends into (and out of) any situation. On the other hand, sometimes you wish you didn't have to worry so much about yourself and everyone else. No matter how hard you try though, being responsible is just your nature.
14. You often wonder how you assumed this title in the first place.
At what point did you become the most responsible? Did some weird thing happen that somehow initiated you into the role? Is there any way to pass on the baton to someone else for a few weeks?
15. You never lose things.
You know exactly where your wallet, phone (which never has a charge below 30%) and keys are at all times.
16. Even your friend's parents know you're the responsible one.
I've gotten multiple texts from my friend's parents making sure their child is still alive and well. I can usually only answer half that question truthfully, but still better than nothing I guess.
Someone has to take one for the team and assume the title of the responsible one. It's an admirable job that not everyone is capable of taking on, so wear that label with pride!
