What a hobble on our lives is the practice of paying too strict attention to convention! As a young child when we replied to our mother's query as to why we did something, "'Cuz everybody does it.", she would respond with that well-used parental question, "If everybody jumped off the bridge, would you?". Well no, with my phobia about heights, I am sure I would not. But the point of her question was to make us realize that we had it within us to think for ourselves. It wasn't necessary to follow the pack.

But then along comes adulthood and now what is the guiding light of our lives? Why, to go along with the crowd, to wear the same fashions, to run out and buy a sports utility vehicle, to patronize the "in" restaurants. One must place the silverware just so on a well-appointed table and no other way. I suppose if one or more of the guests were blind, then that would be a great help to them, but if my guest was sighted and unable to distinguish between the fork, knife, or spoon, solely due to their "inappropriate" position on the table, then I greatly fear that it might be best that they be fed on the floor, out of a large bowl. I myself will go so far as to say that I doubt seriously that I would be unable to identify each piece of silverware regardless of the order and placement on the table. It really doesn't seem like such a major challenge.

Why are certain foods acceptable for certain meals and not for others? If I wish to rise early enough in the morning to put a turkey in the oven, why can't I have roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and dressing for breakfast? Why are cornflakes, or fried potatoes & eggs, or (shudder) grits qualified for breakfast but not other foods? Now, I can understand not having a huge, heavy meal in the evening but that shouldn't rule out having something like, say, shredded wheat cereal.

What about eating pie? How many of us, when a piece of pie is set before us, turn the plate so that we can more easily start from the pointed end? Why not start at whatever place presents itself?

Sure, the above things are relatively insignificant but that, to me, is just one more argument for not worrying about how others do it and for going ahead and doing it my own way. If it's legal, moral, and doesn't hurt anybody, then do it the way you want. Don't worry about Joe Blow down the street who thinks that it is a sin to eat your pie from the big end.

And you needn't restrict the flaunting of convention only to the small things. If you want to buy an 18-wheeler and use it as the family car, then that's your business. I personally would be a bit cautious about starting it up in the middle of the night, but that's simply a matter of courtesy, not convention. Most folks might think you were wasting your money, but it IS your money and, if you can afford it, then it is your right.

Now, remember, I am not advocating the reckless flouting and disregarding of laws and morals unless you are ready to be responsible for the consequences. I merely question the unquestioning adherence to conventions and customs which have no sound preferential basis. I was once asked to write the eulogy for a funeral service. A conventional eulogy would somberly give the basic facts of the person's life, praise the person a bit, and so forth. I chose to use humor and I managed to get the group laughing out loud. Later the son of the decedent thanked me for making his mother seem to live again and to remind him of the laughter they had shared. Unconventional? Sure, but it worked and it got others sharing other funny stories about her.