Just Remember It All Starts With the Rubber Band Wallet....

Last week I got a call from my sister YogaGirl telling me about her latest conversation with our dad. My dad is 89 and believes he no longer has to abide by the rules of society. I believe, as you age, an individual should receive a certain amount of respect with no questions asked. However.....if you want to be a member of this society, receive certain benefits, you have to play by the rules.

There are certain rules my dad has to abide by and believes he's above them. For starters, I know he's has just shown up at a physician's office without an appointment and has learned he truly believes the concept of the 4/5 hour window waiting for a furniture delivery does not apply to him. I no longer debate/argue these points with him and let him sit and wait like everyone else.

However, every couple of months, YogaGirl or I have to have a breakdown with him about certain issues regarding the writing of checks. We don't care how he spends his money, but the government does. It's a long boring story of why we care about his check writing activities (so, I'm not going to bore you), but I hate the fact he only responds to us when we have a total meltdown with him.

It's not fair. It sucks and we both hate it.

After talking with YogaGirl last week, I blamed his inability to listen to us on the rubber band wallet.

In the early 1990's I had a boss named Bruce. His father would often visit our small office and when he'd leave, Bruce would just hold his head in his hands and shake it. I'd laugh and he'd say: "Just you wait till your dad starts using a rubber band as his wallet."

Twenty years later and I now understand the "rubber band wallet" issue. See...once a person has replaced their wallet with a rubber band I believe all social graces go out the window.... Showing up unannounced, believing lines aren't meant for you and thinking any rule the government has doesn't apply to you.

My dad is not an anarchist, but seriously he picks and chooses what he wants to do and leaves his daughters to pull out their hair from complete frustration.