Rules

From the first time we attempt to assimilate into society at the youngest age, we are confronted with a set structure. This structure can be looked upon as rules. These rules are necessary in that they provide a semblance of order. For any institution to survive, there has to be a certain degree of order, otherwise there would be chaos. A person experiences this from his first days in school to subsequent arenas throughout life.

If a person doesn't subscribe to a particular structure, in many instances that person is not forced to submit. For instance, if a person has found the path of academia not to his liking there are other paths with a different structure. Life is replete with possibilities. There are labels that are given to people unable to adhere to structure, among them non conformist, social isolate or nut. If there are instances when this person's behavior is deemed as being adverse to himself or society, we have ways of sequestering this person so he is no threat to society or himself.

Society is self perpetuating and in a just society these rules keep it so. In the many arenas of life, the rules being understood help to provide an ideal of fairness. We know what these rules are and they should pertain to everybody. We spend our lives trying to play by these rules. In various endeavors sometimes we will succeed and sometimes we will fail. But if we fail, we can still dream. What is great about life is that we should never stop dreaming. A person who no longer has the ability to dream will find it difficult to persevere.

Like many people I guess, this life template has been my story. It has been an at times mundane and other times exciting journey. Due to a myriad of factors which lead to some aversion to structure, I was perhaps labeled a non conformist or nut. But in the true spirit of somebody that perhaps only a mother would love, I was ok with myself. Maybe sometimes I marched to a different drummer, but the beat that resonated in my soul was strong and it was a good beat.

What happens when these rules that a person has grown accustomed to are capriciously changed? There is a new set of rules that you are forced to confront. Like some other rules, this new set you can't run from nor does it allow any room for compromise.

The aforementioned structure that perhaps would have been looked upon as a bane to a person's expression or fulfillment, in retrospect seems so far removed from this new reality. It is replaced by this new set of oppressive rules. I am not saying it is impossible to pursue the aforementioned structure under this new set of rules. But in order to do that a person has to be able to dream.

In the past along with the strong beat there were dreams. Now there are neither and I have become a social isolate/nut. I have a lot of work to do.

I rode the bike earlier and though it was hard it went better than last time. I AM GOING TO HIT IT HARD TODAY!!!!!!!!