Rules of Engagement

I like rules. Not to say that I’m a model citizen, but I do think that rules are an essential part of living in society, and I idealistically think the world would be a better place if people followed rules. But which rules? Whose laws? Thankfully I’m not in charge of the world, because here’s a list of rules that guide me:

• From June through October, I can eat ice cream every night. From November through May, I can only eat ice cream on Sundays.
• If I buy an article of clothing, I have to get rid of one.
• The only meat I pay money for is from local small family farms where animals are pastured.
• Never pay more for a concert than the price of a CD.
• Don’t listen to radio or watch TV that has commercials.

Of course, rules are made to be broken; doing so keeps me humble and spontaneous. And maybe sometime I'll write about how my rules came to be.

I was talking with a friend the other day about another friend’s mugging, which led to talk about gangs in Mexico, organized crime, and the seemingly steep descent of the world in a handbasket. He interrupted—“Organized crime? You want to talk about organized crime, talk about a government that robs the poor to support the violent activities of those in charge, that extorts money, ‘protection fees,’ to keep people safe.” He was ranting, I zoned. But the questions remain: Whose rules? Which laws?