A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way February 5 A Rule To Be Broken

February 5

There once was a long standing rule,

That for generations so cruel.

It was your age,

That determined your wage.

Forget that lie, it’s old school.

A Rule To Be Broken

Aren’t you glad to be living in today’s world?  My parents tried to convince me of this rule. All I needed was one career, one permanent job and that would sustain me until I reached my social security age of 65.  

Funny thing though, my social security age went from 65 to 66 and 8 months.  That’s cruel. Oh, and if I want to push it to 70 I could gain another 2%.   It’s so hilarious I am figuring out how to retire at 62. I may not be a math genius but I can’t be old school either.  I need to be social. Social media savvy.  Secure as well.  If I wait until 70 I may not be so socially secure waiting on that social security check. 

Dreams are revealing.

I had a dream that my job was to secure a certain building to be emptied of all persons traveling on a specific school bus. Once the door to the building was closed anyone trying to leave would not be allowed on the school bus. To secure the door a plastic tieback was clipped to the top of it. If it was broken by someone trying to get out that would signal they missed the deadline. I had the authority to deny them a seat on the bus. As the group was preparing to leave a friend from grammar school showed up.  I had not seen her in many years and the leader of the group was helping her collect her things.  She was disorganized and I so wanted to help her but when I tried to get to her a man was exiting the glass door. He broke the plastic tieback.  I motioned to the group leader that this “rule breaker” must not be allowed on the bus.  Time was running out and the group leader motioned back  “just come on we need to move.  Just let him come.”  What!  I am doing my job and now you are going to just say forget it, let him come.  No! No! I won’t have it.  I keep the rules. 

In my earnest desire to keep the rules the group leader and my friend disappeared as they hurried to get on the bus. The man made it past me too as I was once again securing the door.  By the time I secured the door and gathered my own things I had forgotten to ask what bus number it was. Did I mention the significance of this bus? This bus was going to change something really big in the world? 

The amount of buses and vehicles waiting for passengers appeared endless.  I was running as fast as I could without dropping my things.  The more I looked for where I needed to be the more I didn’t know where to go. I realized I never found out what number bus it was. How could I even ask someone to point me in the direction of a bus I didn’t know the number of?  I could feel the sinking realization of “I missed it.”  I missed my chance. I missed my chance to change the world.

I couldn’t stand the pain of believing my friend and group leader were gone. So was the man I tried to stop. They were on their way to change the world. Not me. My inability to show grace and compassion for the man that was just less than a minute late and at the same time desiring to show grace and compassion to my friend, cost me my desire to be part of something world changing.  It was very confusing.

Have you ever woken from a dream and still felt the emotional effects of it? 

I need to break my plastic tieback and get on the bus.

I want to change the world. I want to be open to a last minute change and at the same time be assured I didn’t miss the bus. I want to change my little world and at the same time the whole world. I want to help you change your world and at the same help you change the whole world. Maybe I am supposed to tell you, “break that rule and get on the bus!” That’s what Rosa Parks did. She changed her world and the whole world at the same time.

But beware of the motive of your heart.  It must be love. You will never break your plastic tieback out of hate or rebellion. You will never change your world for the good that way. If you get on that bus your world will become small.

What rule do you need to break to change your world?  The whole world?

You can reach me at pkochanek127@gmail.com.  I believe you need to break a rule.