December 13, 2004
Commandments
Some people have life commandments or admonitions that they live with forever, things that got drilled into them at an early age, and that they never forget. Years later whenever they break one or go a bit astray, they can’t help but feel a tinge of guilt.
Finish your meal. Remember the starving Armenians. Wait until your father gets home. I’m doing this for your own good. Because I said so. Don’t eat with your elbows on the table.
One of mine was always to put the cap back on after using the toothpaste and before brushing my teeth. I always thought that commandment — since it came during the Great Depression — was probably to avoid wasting toothpaste. I guess I think of it nearly every time I brush my teeth now all these years later.
I left the cap off (again) the other day and accidentally knocked it into the sink. Down it went and stopped up the drain. The plumber cost seventy-five bucks. I sure hate it when my parents turn out to be right about something.