Rules Are Rules

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog ‘confessing’ that we had been breaking some of the rules.  After I wrote it, we thought, much like teenagers, that we better not post it because our ‘guardians’ might read it and then we’d be in real trouble!

Now I can’t find what I wrote, we did such a good job hiding our deceit, but in the ensuing time, we’ve confessed and got the resulting raised eyebrows from our kids. We’ve promised to take more heed of the things they try to do to protect us.

So regarding these rules, it involves ladders and other dangerous things.  Some of you will relate.

Since we arrived home in November, we’ve been trying to get our ladder back from where it’s been over the last couple of years at the kids’ garage. Finally the kids came clean about the delays, and said, “You don’t need to be on a ladder at your age!”

We were offended, of course, and may have thought, a bit disrespectively “What do they know?”

Then a neighbour walked by as I was weeding the front yard.  He was walking his dog and I was wondering why I can’t grow anything but weeds.

“By the way,”. I chipped, “You don’t happen to have a ladder we could borrow, do you?” I gave him my most innocent smile.

“Sure thing, I’ll bring it now.”

Poor man, he doesn’t know he just aided and abetted the “Great Ladder Fiasco”.

Within minutes I was high up on the ladder, hanging a picture (that’s pretty mammoth), on our wall.  Of course there were difficulties.  Tony held the ladder valiantly, even though I thought he didn’t need to.  

Then he walked away to get something (this is pre-knee surgery but he was still moving too slow to satisfy me), so I decided to ‘hop down’ and grab whatever it was.

Unfortunately, my body decided that I’d reached the bottom when I stepped out…….. into thin air.

I was only about two or three steps up, but I landed with great aplomb.  

Fortunately, because of my fat posterior and my hard head, I was pretty much unfazed. (Well, maybe just a little fazed). Tony made quick time back to me to ooh and ahh, and eventually we got the picture up.

So that was a good lesson.  We could laugh about it, our little ‘secret’  (Of which there are a growing number).

Then later that week, we were down at the beach with a bunch of our friends having fish and chips, as we often do. 

I regaled them with our hilarious story.

And imagine my surprise when I turned back to see them, all mostly younger than us, sitting there with bared teeth waiting for their turn to upbraid us!

These are our friends, not our so-called carers, but they let us know in no uncertain terms that such foolish behaviour would no longer be tolerated.

“You could have been killed!”, “I have a friend who did the same thing and she DIED!” And on and on it went.

I’m reading the Old Testament at the moment and Leviticus is full of rules?  Why? Because the Israelites were just like me, thinking that as children of the God of the universe, they could do anything they wanted to!

So now……… I’ll stay on the ground and behave.  I left that evening a changed person, realising that living in this country with 20+ varieties of deadly snakes, I found that Aussies are really more afraid of ladders!  I vowed to listen to people and realize that they just want our best interests for us.  

I’m happy to report that Tony also is following the “rules” and gutting it out with his rehab therapy.  We are blessed to have the Physio guy coming to the house, (which is added protection since I’m the designated driver) and he’s gritting his teeth with grace and style. 

It’s been quite a week.  He WAS able to teach two classes this week and is preaching next, so we’re motivated.

Remember out there.  OBEY the rules!  REGARD those who love you and speak the truth……we’re not getting any younger!!

Looking forward to the future, 

Marsha