What? Decency Rules?

Even for folks who aren’t “rule followers,” many years ago I found a list of twelve short sentences that, if we take them to heart, can improve our lives. I think they offer pretty good guidance for acting like a decent human being (not a bad intention).

A call for decency

The list was in plain sight when I first entered the kitchen of the house where I would eventually live because I would eventually marry Hoyt Edge. It was a newspaper clipping he’d stuck on the refrigerator door. I’m snoopy and curious, believing that what people have in their houses tells you a lot about them.

I was struck that, on a kitchen appliance, a snippet of newsprint declared certain ways of good behavior; it was a glimpse into what this man valued.

It surprised me so much to see it. Why? Hoyt was a philosopher by profession, yet he wasn’t so intellectually uppity that keeping a scrap of paper on his fridge was beneath him. He had a sense of humor. And a love of wisdom. From age 25 to 70, Hoyt taught a variety of classes as Professor of Philosophy at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

So a philosopher liked what a little scrap of 3″x 3″ newspaper reported, and he liked it enough to place it where he could see it every day. That endeared me to him immediately. In other words, he scored some points for that!

Now, more than 20 years later, we still keep the list on the fridge.

Golden Rules for Living

(author unknown)

1. If you open it, close it.
2. If you turn it on, turn it off.
3. If you unlock it, lock it up.
4. If you break it, admit it.
5. If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.
6. If you borrow it, return it.
7. If you value it, take care of it.
8. If you make a mess, clean it up.
9. If you move it, put it back.
10. If it belongs to someone else, get permission to use it.
11. If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
12. If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.

Granted, we could add many more “rules” to this list. I’d add:

13. “If you want to be heard, be a good listener.”

What would you add?

Thanks for reading!

Your writer on the wing,

Charlene

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