PLAYGROUND RULES

     Spending much time with the kids this weekend and watching the two boys especially do their baseball routine, I was reminded of the rules of the playground, the expectations of proper behavior on the field, the values of promises made and kept - or not. These were two little boys - 5 and 9 - and yet they were able to play by the rules and if one went somewhat off the straight and narrow the other boy reminded him and a sorry was said and on the game went. There was no name calling, no nasty comments, no threats, no outrageous remarks, no sentencing one to the gulag never again to be allowed to play.
     And I wondered, if little boys like this can understand the rules and reasons for and behind fair play, why they work and why they must be observed, then why oh why cannot a grown man understand these very simple rules, understand that his outrageous behavior continues to remain in the toddler zone, egocentric to the extreme and really a very tired manner of behaving.
     If promises are made to the residents in the very oath of office, then that promise must be kept and if it cannot, then one must show himself out of and off the field and learn the rules once again, or better yet, try another game.
    If one makes a promise, implied or tacit, to keep our finances on a steady and responsible level, to keep one's fiduciary trust, then one must be careful as to how one spends the money of others and not be cavalier about it. One cannot simply say to one, "Oh, just keep the money." Really? Do that with your funds please, not ours. If you recall David Copperfield and poor Mr. Micawber who could not keep good financial balance in his life, then remember this statement. "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty one pounds, result misery."
     We here in the Village prefer the balanced budget or even one with money left over so that we can amass the funds necessary for future needs but not spent for frills that are unnecessary such as murals in a pool area or redundancies, poor workmanship and poor contracts and vendors which require repetitive repairs and costly too. We prefer clear and transparent designated funds rather than the cloudy system that is now in place.
     So while these two little boys could not understand high finances other than how much they needed to have to buy a favorite hot lunch - and which they conned out of their soft touch grandmother - they did understand the need and value of fair play, what it allows and what it avoids. Age 5 and age 9 so the question is how old are you really?
     So what is your next violation of the rules of the playground? I know what I expect to happen so let us see if you are as much of an infant who cannot deal with opposition, one who makes illogical statements and by the way, there are hamlets in the Himalayas that have acquired some Wi - Fi, so by how much does that change the audience of 200 million interested people, the ones who avidly follow my blog and who are awaiting more news of you? Perhaps we need to give them time to catch on to the apparent latest craze before we count their numbers!
    Do you not see how you open yourself up to ridicule with nonsensical statements and toddler behavior. How many times have you been asked to man up, grow up, come out in public, debate, respond in any manner in a grown up and adult manner, drop your gavel, drop your tantrums, cease your made up rules that come from your mind only and let your attorney on a leash sink quietly into a well deserved and needed retirement. If you open a door, expect people to walk through it.
     You see, the choice is all yours. Yes or no. What will it be? But if you continue to remain on this very same path, then do  not blame others for the consequences. That, too, is childish. Look to your own thinking and actions and square your shoulders and accept blame and responsibility where it belongs.