Thursday, May 18, 2006

 

Rules


I joined a golf league this year. The last time I golfed, was July 2nd last year and I was 8 1/2 months pregnant - and still managed to get a birdie that day (pretty proud of that!) Anyway, I joined this league with my friend Lori. I am a little rusty, but I am excited. Joining the league means that now I have to follow the rules of the game. No more kicking the ball out of the rough. No more mulligans. No more gimmies. No more guessing at my score because I don't want to count the shot in the pond.

To be prepared for my first day, I went over the rules - so that I wouldn't confuse them with the rules I have made up over the year. I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of the other league members for not knowing what the red stakes meant. So Lori and I walk up to the first tee box and meet our partners that day. I hit first. It is a great drive - off to the right. Oh well, could be worse. Next one of our partners tees off - a popper. Not a good shot at all. Too bad for her, right? Well, not exactly. She pulls out another ball and says, "I am taking a mulligan on that one." And then she winks at us!

Wait a minute now. She is breaking the league rules - no mulligans. I don't really care, but she's cheating and we are competing against each other!!! Why did she think that was okay?

I have always been a rule follower. In seventh grade we saw a video about the dangers of drinking alcohol. The rule/law says you can't drink until you are 21. And for the most part, I followed that rule. After seeing the video, I came home to tell my mom that I didn't think people in my grade would drink alcohol because we saw a 'really good video' explaining why we shouldn't. At that time I couldn't imagine anyone seeing the video and then deciding to drink. So naive.

Why am I this way? If someone asks me to meet them at 10 AM, I show up at 9:45. I stop well ahead of all stop signs. I never go through a red light (even if it is 2 AM and no one is around). I never speed (oh wait, I take that back, but I don't speed much!) I don't yell "FIRE" in a crowded room. I don't swear (at least not in front of the kids.)

I am not saying that I wish I broke more rules. I just wonder why I don't even think of breaking the rules and others can do it so flippantly. Maybe I break more rules than I think.

Do you ever break rules? Do you care if you do? Do you sleep well at night?

Comments:
And to think---I raised you! Good job, rule follower! If I recall, the quality of following rules ties more closely to the firstborn or an only child---oh, wait...that IS what you were described as on the test your blog linked, isn't it?
Now you know why you were such an easy child to raise.
As for me, I've been known to get a speeding ticket or 2...or 10.
 
Um, yeah, absolutely, I follow the rules. Well, most of them, that is. Except for the driving-related ones, those ones are bogus. To answer your other question, I don't exactly sleep well at night, so I'm not sure what that's all about.
 
I'm a rule follower. And I never cheat. Or lie. Some may say I'm boring, but I think they're just jealous. Cuz doesn't everyone want to be like me?

I was actually thinking of doing a post like this myself. I was going to call it Goody Girls. I may still do it - but now I'll wait awhile so it won't seem like old material.
 
MM - That's what I am talking about. Am I too boring? Maybe my rebel years are ahead of me. Watch out!

Eric - Your reasons for not sleeping well at night probably have more to do with the little ones in your bed, not your conscience.

Mom - Your welcome (for being so easy to raise)
 
OOPS! You're welcome!
 
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