I’m not sure if that’s how Spiderman’s Uncle Ben said it in the movie, but that’s how I remember it.

Maybe it’s because I’m just the type of person who’s easy to please (heck, I laugh at even the stupidest jokes known to mankind), but I always thought of this “great power” that Uncle Ben referred to can be manifested in even the simplest of ways, like driving a car, spearheading an event, writing a blog post, or posting a reply on an un-moderated comment system. I see it as the perfect quote representing accountability.

I know I shouldn’t be thinking about trivial things like this now—Abe and I are already at the brink of insanity with all the things we needed to do for the Philippine Blog Awards and other stuff—but I can’t help it.

I guess that’s the problem of being too observant for your own good. True, it can help you coax a really juicy secret out of somebody for the simple reason that you caught them off-guard, amusing yourself and your equally gossipy friends in the process. But it can also be a source of annoyance when you notice that a television host says “that’s right” too often to be allowed on screen, and bring a sad realization that there are people who are prepared to take the credit, but not ready to face the responsibility that goes with it.

Although being observant helps you notice things that other people don’t see, it doesn’t give you the powers of a psychic (no, Spider Senses aren’t included)—you still won’t know when those realizations will come until it’s actually shown in front of you. And when it is, it hits you like a thousand bricks falling on your head—a thousand bricks that in first place shouldn’t even be falling on your head but on somebody else’s. That’s the saddest part about being too observant: you sometimes notice things that shouldn’t have been your problem in the first place, but will eventually become yours for the simple reason that there are just some people who can’t seem to see eye-to-eye with Uncle Ben.

I don’t know, maybe I’ve been so used to getting stuck with all the crap while another person happily enjoys a share of the income and credit without having to bat an eye for more than a year (good thing my husband and I eventually saw the light), that it would take a lot before I would reach my boiling point. Marc usually assures me that Karma would eventually have its say, but the thing is, Karma takes time. And there are things needed to be done that Karma can’t magically fix. So when this happens, I just refer to Uncle Ben.

Great Power. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you would have to have something extravagant to have this power. Power can be shown in different ways, even as simple as having the knowledge that another person doesn’t seem to be agreeing with Uncle Ben’s motto. In my opinion, the fact that you know gives you “great power.” You’re aware of it, so you can do something about it.

Great Responsibility. When you know you have the power to do something about what another person doesn’t seem to want to take responsibility for, there comes the responsibility on your part (for the simple reason that you’re aware of it). You can tell the person about it and give him the chance to rectify his actions. But sometimes, you just don’t have the luxury of time. So yeah, there are times when you will need to step up and do it yourself. It sucks, but somebody has to get the job done. I guess it’s really up to you if you can sit back and just watch as the job rots, letting down other people involved (directly or indirectly) in the process.

I guess that’s the thing about taking credit and responsibility, not everybody will have the same moral compass as you are. There are those more than willing to bask in the great power, but would put themselves out of action at the hint of work that needs to be done in order to make that great power possible. There are those who can’t accept they can’t do something and then pretend that they do, just so they can have that great power, but aren’t ready for the consequences that comes with it. Sorry, Uncle Ben, but not everyone will see eye-to-eye with you and think you’re just an old nag who had a measly amount of screen time in the movie.

Ah well. As my husband is fond of saying, there’s always Karma. Besides, getting screwed is a learning experience—the aftermath helps you be more careful with the people you get into business with, or you’ll end up doing all the work while somebody just takes her share and make you feel like an idiot again.

Don’t mind me. This is probably just a symptom of quarter-life crisis.