Following the Rules - There's a Difference Between Goody-Goody and Doing Good

As a kid I was accused of being a goody-goody which embarrassed me but also didn’t stop me, maybe I secretly thrived on the attention. 

I got good grades, I liked school, I didn’t smoke (except for a week one summer and I felt so guilty I ran home and told my mom), I spent time with our elderly neighbors, I helped my dad shovel snow and I did my chores. 

As a kid I fantasized about handing out tickets to people who littered, didn’t pick up their dog’s poop, were mean to animals, snapped at homeless people or did anything that I thought they shouldn’t do. My list was long. 

I was pretty ruthless in my imaginary handing out of tickets. Any time I saw an injustice I would say out loud, “I want to give them a ticket.” The perpetrator didn’t know I was talking about them so it was safe condemnation. 

I wasn’t all good. I skipped school, drank too young and lied to my parents.

As a teenager though my list of things people shouldn’t do continued to grow and centered around causes to help animals, people, and the planet. My mother took to calling me, “Cause Queen,” which I secretly embraced. 

The older I get the more vocal and active I’m becoming. There is no room for good-goody in my quell for ‘justice,’ these days. I’m careful but I’m pushy. I openly challenge, I protest, I boycott, I write letters and I sign a ton of petitions. I now wear the, “Cause Queen” badge with pride and if I could I’d be handing out tickets left, right and center.