I hated rules. Back in highschool, I used to break every rule I can find without making it look too obvious, especially when I was a prefect in Form 6. Our school do not allow coloured socks, only pure white socks, so I’d use to wear converse pattern socks but fold it down to hide the logo. After school, I would untuck my shirt and take off my tie. During prefect duty, I’d play with my tamagotchi hidden in my jacket pocket, for it is so boring during prefect duty, when everyone else can hang out at the canteen, I had to stand at the gate to keep watch in case students run out of school during recess time. Due to my rule breaking habit, I didn’t not earn a good reputation in my committee.
Rules rules rules, we love to break them don’t we? It’s as if, programmed in each of us is a software called Rebel, that likes to walk on thin line and try to risk doing something without getting caught. The exhilaration of it all is what brings many people to commit crimes, maybe.
However, if we only see the big picture, rules are there for a reason. Without rules, what would be of this world? Back in the days of Moses and the Israelites being disciplined by God in the desert for 40 years, God had to give them the 10 commandments. Else the people are just making their own rules, worshiping idols, giving and taking other people’s wives (wife swap is not a new concept), stealing. who knows what else? Most of all, they really loves to complain about their circumstances.
So yea, it may be thrilling to break rules at 17 years old when I don’t know why they need to be there, but double the age later, I began to find rules so necessary in this life. I set rules for my son concerning his routine, eat time, bath time, and especially sleep time. I make sure he sleeps early and start nursing him for bedtime by 7pm max. That’s so he can grow big and strong, and have less health problems in future, but also that he takes to the routine when he’s school going, sleep early, rise early.
When I was 16, my mother would have to call us to go to bed at 9pm, but I usually don’t feel like going to bed so early, I wanted to stay up and watch X-files. But I had to abide by her authority. Thank God for her bedtime rules that I can stay alert in class and learn well and get through school. Had it be no rules in the house, I probably watched TV till midnight, dreaded going to school so I can sleep in, fought hard in class to stay awake and eventually fail my exams.
Why am I writing this? Sometimes, even at this age, some of us wonder why there are so many rules in work, in church etc. At work we have to be punctual, we have to greet everyone we see, we have to keep track of what we do every hour and submit a report at the next week, we have to finish our work on time….at church, we are to attend cell, we must dress appropriately, we must be punctual, we must speak properly and be understood well, we must …. this and that. Well it might seem like a hassle and a lot to some, legislative even. But without this dos and don’ts..where would we stand? It would be a mess, like in the days without the 10 commandments in Israel. When people do what they want when they want as they please. And then judgement had to be brought down to clean up the mess, in Noah’s case.
Nevertheless, rules are there for a time and season, specific to certain functions, ever changing to stay with the time.
double age already??? sure not?