Rules – the confusing ones

There seems to be at least three types of rules that are a source of consternation to me – the ones that are posted and given lip service (largely ignored); the ones that are not written, not posted, but carry more penalty if flouted; and the ones that are subject to class.

For instance, I've been told that there is still a law on the books in Texas that you can't have wire cutters in your back pocket. Even though it is a law, it is not honored – by those wire-cutter-carriers or by those whose job it is to uphold the law. There was a rule posted on an airport jitney, "No Tipping" – it was plain, written in large letters, and ignored by most everyone.

Then there are the societal, familial and relationship rules that are learned by infraction – either by being punished or witnessing someone else being punished. Eg: in an elevator, all occupants are supposed to stare at the door or the numbers as they flash by – no talking. It's an unwritten rule, but largely kept. In my family, no one talked to my dad until he had eaten dinner, and you didn't loiter between him and the TV when Gunsmoke was on. We learned that by breaking the rule.

Then there are the rules that the "little people" are supposed to keep and for which they are severely punished if caught, while the "big people" don't seem to be punished for breaking the exact same rules – or even pursued. My mother was taking one of brother's friends to a doctor's office in a major hospital here in Houston (in the '60s), she smelled marijuana and peeked in a door, and there were a bunch of doctors sitting around a table taking tokes. One of my brothers was busted for that. It all seems unfair application of the rules. In many circles, it's OK for men to have extramarital affairs, not so for women.

So … rules … some are kept and outmoded, some are posted and not kept, some are not posted and kept, and some apply to some folks and not others. Rules … calling for personal discernment yet again.