Rules I (Barely) Live(d) By

Here are the rules I was told you are supposed to live by.  These are rules I either:

a. Never followed 

b. Followed only partially

c. or learned just a little too late.

1. Use the potty, not your pants! ( I eventually learned the importance of this rule, but if I live very much longer, I may need to learn this one again - or at least pretend to).

2. Don't pick your nose. (Didn't/Doesn't everyone?)

3. Do not tell a lie. (Okay, this depends on the age of the person lying, and the kind of lie you are telling - example: a "white"one, one you use to "spare someone's feelings," a "save-yourself-so-you-don't-get-a-detention" lie, a "don't-tell-mom-you-weren't-really-at-your-friend's-house" or a real "doozie" which is so huge you can't keep up with all the follow-up lies). But really, it's not okay to do this AT ALL - (lying, that is), or so I teach my kids. 

4. Study in school. (Uhhhh - nope).

5. Do your homework. (Again, not so good at that way back when).

6. Respect your mother and father. (What if they weren't really respectable?)

7. Don't tattle. (Still doing that).

8. Don't hit your siblings. (I stopped hitting my brother when he got big enough to threaten me with bodily harm, then I RESPECTED him...my sister, well, she fights dirty, so I'll listen to that one from now on, too). 

9. Do not go out with boys until you are thirty. (Really, my dad said that. Sorry, Dad).

10. Don't have sex until you are married. (No comment).

11. Don't get married until you are thirty. (Dad really said that, too. He was right, and I didn't listen).

12. Do something you love for work. (What happens if you don't have a passion for something until later? Or, what happens if what you love isn't practical in the real world for making money? This can be a real problem.  For example, what if I LOVED underwater basket weaving? What kind of an income would that produce, really? And wouldn't I have really pruny skin as a result? Also, what about sharks?) So, I was practical in my choice of the right job, but I can still DREAM, can't I? And, by the way I do. Any publicists out there?

13. Marry someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. (       )

14. If you are a devout Catholic, marry someone and no matter what, stay with them for the rest of your life or you will go to hell. (HA! I know many people for whom hell looks a lot nicer than their current marital situation). So there!

15. Don't smoke. (oops)

16. Don't drink. (oops)

17. Don't do drugs. (Do we really have to count the 70s? )

18. Don't let life pass you by. (This depends on whether or not you actually follow rules 16 and 17).

19. Admit when you are wrong. (I do it all day, every day. I'm good at this).

20. Never go to bed mad. (This absolutely and completely depends on who you are with when you go to bed. Sorry. I flunk this one all the time).

21. Learn new things. (I do this all day, every day. I'm good at this, too).

22. Love, value, and cherish your friendships. (I do this all day, every day, too. I've never had a problem with this because I have the best friends in the world).

21. Set a good example for your children. (I try really, really hard to do this. I'm not perfect so the next rule applies...see below):

22. Never quit. (Sometimes you must admit defeat, for sure. But if you gave it your all, and did the best you knew how you must sometimes...see below):

23. Know when to throw in the towel. 

24. Celebrate life. (I do this now when feeling especially "chipper", and did this sometimes while breaking rules 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 as well).

25. To thine own self be true. (Still working at this one, but getting better every day).

I know there are more rules to live by. This is amazing that I actually could think of 25 to write about here. (I must have broken a lot the other ones, or else I'd have tried to make myself look better by adding them in here as some of the things I succeeded in.)

Either way, it really doesn't matter. I think part of living life is that some rules are made to be broken. That is what makes us learn and grow and know ourselves - who we are and what we are made of. Here's what I do: I try my hardest to do the best I can, every day. I don't always succeed, so I PRACTICE. I try not to hurt other people intentionally, and if I do, I say I'm sorry. I try to let the people that I love know how much I love them and how important they are to me every day. Sometimes I am cranky, lots of times I'm tired, lots of times I complain. That's me, take it or leave it. But I do know this: Life is too short and precious to be filled up with all sorts of "do this, do that" and "don't do this, don't do thats"). Just live. I will leave you with what I believe to be the best rule yet: TRUST YOUR GUT. Only YOU know what is right for you - no one else. So, if you wanna break a few rules, go ahead. Just remember there may be consequences if you get caught, and if you don't get caught, well, please be sure to tell me all about it, and most importantly I say, "Bloody good for you!"