If not you, then who? If not now, when?

There is a crowbar sitting in the corner of my bathroom at home. In fact, it has been there a few days, slightly hidden among the robes hanging from the hooks.

Now, most people would be asking themselves, “Why is there a crowbar in my bathroom?” I quit asking “why” a long time ago after locating my missing dish soap on the trampoline or discovering three bags of marshmallows had disappeared overnight.

Instead, I wondered who had the foresight to bring a crowbar into not just the house, but into the bathroom. And as every parent wonders daily, why didn’t they put it away?

When I asked who brought the crowbar into the house, there was a resounding chorus of “Not Me.”

Anyone with kids has had “Not Me” as a resident at some point although “Not Me’s” appearance varies based on the ages and the number of family members.

My family has reached a new precipice. For years, the most common name in our house was “Not Me” and it was easy to blame “Not Me” with nine people in the house.

Who lost the remote control for the TV? “Not me”

Who finished off the cereal and put the empty box back in the pantry? “Not me”

Who dyed the dog’s white head an awful shade of brown, giving him the look of a bad toupee? “Not me” (Actually, that case was pretty easy to solve since it required someone who could drive to the store and buy the hair coloring kit. Yes, a lot of work went into that idea.)

On the other hand, when I asked who was kind enough to put away the dishes without being asked, “Not Me” suddenly couldn’t be found and was replaced by all of my responsible children.

But as one kid after the next has left for college, the number of “suspects” at home has also decreased and “Not Me” doesn’t carry as much weight. At the end of the day it has to be somebody, although there have been claims that someone sneaks into the house just to cause mayhem.

Now, it has taken a long time to get to the point in this column, but the same can be said in the community. Not the mayhem, that’s my part-time job.

Instead, we need to quit saying “Not Me.” We should be asking ourselves, “if not me, then who?”

If everyone is looking at everyone else to get something done, nothing will get accomplished.

Instead, we need to be willing to step up to the plate and take charge, be willing to take a risk, be willing to put ourselves out there and possibly fail.

Maybe you are worried that you don’t have the skill set? Fake it until you make it.

Maybe you are worried that you don’t know everything? Enlist the help of those who do.

Maybe you are worried that you don’t have time? Ultimately, we find time for the things that are important to us.

If there is a project or an idea that you have been contemplating, now is the right time. If you are passionate about the project, then you are the right person. And if you are waiting for the perfect time, it will never happen.

The McCook Community Foundation Fund’s semi-annual grant deadline is a month away. This is a great time to consider those ideas and programs which have been percolating in your mind. Whether it is providing funding or making connections or finding a collaborator, there are many people in the community - including MCFF - who want to see you succeed and are willing to help.

After all, If not now, when? And if not you, then who?