Hello readers, this post will serve a couple of functions. Firstly, it will relate in some way to the Wicked Wednesday meme prompt for this week, which is all about rules and breaking them.
Secondly, I will just give you folks a bit of a whistle-stop tour on what’s been happening with me lately and why I’ve been a bit quiet of late.
On the topic of rules, I get why we have rules in society as a whole. They serve to make life more pleasant and harmonious for us all. Lately, I’ve been watching a Netflix series called Atypical, which is about a young man, Sam, who has autism. He is navigating his way through starting college. Sam loves penguins and his favourite thing to do is to watch his beloved penguin Stumpy at the local aquarium. He loves the topic of Antarctica and penguins so much that he decides it’s his mission to go there. Despite the fact that he hates the cold and needs to raise $10,000 to fund his expedition. So he has a couple of wee obstacles to overcome there.
What I find about this character, Sam, is that as a person with autism, he loves rules. They give his life routine and structure. While I’ve been watching this program, I’ve actually wondered whether I may be on the spectrum. I’ve never been formally diagnosed. Whether or not I am a person with autism, all I know is that I like to have order and structure in my life. It makes me feel calmer and more in control.
That being said, with all the different ‘rules’ being imposed on us since the pandemic, I find myself struggling to keep up with them. The local authorities have their own guidelines for what schools need to do to keep their students and staff, as well as the wider community safe. That’s helpful, though things can become problematic. For instance, as a mum, I get bombarded with emails from the school about every single positive case of Covid that comes up in my child’s class. It’s no surprise that given the government’s ‘plan’ to ease restrictions that cases are already creeping up in certain areas.
I’ll admit, I was not as responsible as I could have been when it was my birthday weekend, at the end of February. I went to Butlins with Mr Bunny for our first weekend on our own in what seems like a year. I stopped wearing a mask, which looking back was kind of stupid because at the start of this month I got Covid myself. Despite being triple jabbed. I mean technically I kind of followed some rules as I tested myself before we went, which was negative. But I do question whether everyone who went was as honest. It was the weekend where the government guidance all completely went out the window, and a lot of that probably was partly to do with bigger, more serious issues like the possibility of World War III.
Anyhow, without these rules being formally imposed now, it seems like a lot of Joe Public is doing what the heck they want. This is frustrating because after I’d had covid, I felt really bad about potentially spreading a virus to people who could get really sick if they got it. But then I rationalised, I’m wearing a mask at work. I can’t take responsibility for anyone who gets sick because they decided not to have a free vaccination or booster. That’s on them.
In my line of work, I work in a very small team in a retail setting. If any one of us is off on holiday at any given time, that creates pressure on the rest of us to take up the slack. Given that customers walk right up to our counter without a mask, despite us displaying a sign requesting that people wear masks when they enter, I kind of feel like “you know what if your watch is so precious to you that you’re gonna walk up to the place where I’m standing (whilst I’m wearing my mask) and you say to me “oh, am I meant to be wearing a mask? It’s a bit late now,”, then I kind of feel that person kind of deserves to get covid.
Ok, that may make me sound like I’m being a bit of an a**hole, and I totally get that, but to me, rules are a bit like respect. And if I feel like someone is disrespecting me, then I do not want to show them any respect either.
So, I’ll admit yeah, I am a rule-breaker at times. But I do think about what I feel is the ‘greater good.’ Is it better to stay home and not get any sick pay, jump through a load of hoops to get government support which may or may not exist anymore, only to be told at a later date that I need to pay the money back, or do I carry on when I feel well enough, and trust a little piece of plastic to say I’m no longer infectious?
This post has the potential to get longer than it needs to be. In summary, if you just want a succinct snippet about whether I follow rules, the answer is I do for the most part. If and when they make sense. In terms of what I’ve actually been doing for the past 6 1/2 weeks since I last posted, I have been working, decluttering at home, celebrating my birthday, feeling rough from covid and sleeping a lot, and now trying to be more productive generally.
Thanks for reading xx
I’ve often wondered about autism myself, as I like the structure rules provide.When I was diagnosed with my brain disorder I was told I could likely be on the autism spectrum. I found this test online, not definitive by any means, but it might give you an idea. https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/for-adults/autism-and-aspergers/adult-autism-test.
First of all, I am sorry to hear you had Covid, and I hope you recovered well from it. It also sounds like you and I share the same birthday weekend
As for rules, I like them too, and I like structure in my life, and like you I have wondered if I might be on the spectrum too. One place where you had me nodding my head hard was this:
“but to me, rules are a bit like respect. And if I feel like someone is disrespecting me, then I do not want to show them any respect either.”
I totally agree!
~ Marie xox
Apologies for the delayed reply, Marie. Lots going on at home so the blog has been on the back-burner for a while.
I am feeling better now, thank you. Lots of people seem to have caught Covid recently.
Yes, I remember we share the same birthday weekend, from when I did FebPhotoFest a couple of years back.
I think a lot of people fall on the spectrum somewhere. After all, it is a spectrum, that encompasses a wide range of people.
I hope you and Grand Master T are doing well, and that even if you’re not having the sexual intimacy you both would like, you can still enjoy each other in different ways.
Best wishes,
LB xxx
Apologies for the delayed reply, Marie. Lots going on at home so the blog has been on the back-burner for a while.
I am feeling better now, thank you. Lots of people seem to have caught Covid recently.
Yes, I remember we share the same birthday weekend, from when I did FebPhotoFest a couple of years back.
I think a lot of people fall on the spectrum somewhere. After all, it is a spectrum, that encompasses a wide range of people.
I hope you and Grand Master T are doing well, and that even if you’re not having the sexual intimacy you both would like, that you can still enjoy each other in different ways.
Best wishes,
LB xxx
Hey lovely to see you. I have just had Covid too. It does seem crazy that the government go to all that trouble to stop us doing anything for 2 years and ruin the economy to now go back on it all when cases are higher than ever! Prob something to do with an election – the public best interest – probably not!
May xx
Hi May, apologies for my tardy reply. Hope you have recovered from the dreaded Covid. As for the government, I feel like they are a virus themselves sickening the country with their horrible policies and money-grabbing.
Lots of changes have happened in real life which means I’ve had another lengthier hiatus from the blog. My daughter is growing up too, at the grand age of 7 :p
Some calmer times would be very welcome when they return!
Hope you and your loved ones are keeping well <3
LB xx
Without rules, the whole world will turn into chaos. So, yes, I try to follow all the necessary rules and salute people who do the same.
Indeed, without rules, there would be chaos and anarchy.
Some people just need to remember to follow the rules they set for the rest of us :p
By following certain rules, we make life easier for everyone around us, making it more understandable and predictable. And thus we show respect for the people around us and in return we have the right to expect respect for ourselves. Life without rules is a return to the cave age.