After a bad case of cabin fever and a minor case of the blues, both brought on by being stuck inside and working on the last day of the Halloween weekend, I took a much needed walk.

I decided top stop for coffee, cigarettes, and a touch of philosophy. So sue me, I'm cliche. I'm smoking and listening to music outside a starbucks, minding nobodies business but my own, when someone prods my shoulder. I had headphones on, so it was difficult for anything to penetrate my solitary bubble, but of course somebody had to try. Well, they succeeded. In fact, they burst the whole damn thing with their sharp little poke. I turned around to face the rude perpetrator and I was met with a stern look from a rather rough looking security guard. Considering I was perched between multiple "no smoking" signs, I expected my relaxing sit had come to an end. The security guard simply says, "Hey bud. Can I bum a smoke?" Of course! Heck, that question would've merited a kiss on the lips, but I think it was best that I settled on just a cigarette. He stood not too far away as he enjoyed his smoke. I checked the time and thought myself about ready to head back. After an exchange of a polite salute and nod between myself and my new smoking buddy, I was off.

I walked past the bus station with the hope that I'd catch a quick ride back to my apartment, and I was in luck! My bus pulled up as soon as I got to the stop. I climbed aboard and worked my way to the back. Now, I sit in the back because my level of comfort scales with the number of walls and their proximity to myself, especially when I'm surrounded by strangers. Most of the other people in the back still sit there because of the "cool" factor that had been ingrained in their psyche throughout high school. I'm sure you know the people I'm talking about, general ruffians, thugs, and other low-lifes. A couple monkeys boarded right after me. It should be noted that there's nothing derogatory in my use of the word "monkeys" either. I say monkeys because they were a couple of little girls that decided they were going to climb over the seats and swing from the hand rails. This was certainly obnoxious, but I could just put on headphones and close my eyes. *poof The monkeys were gone. I opened my eyes again as the bus lurched from the stop. There were now two monkeys and a token thug in the back with me. The girls were wearing somewhat mischievous smiles, so I took off my headphones to listen in on their conversation. They were poking fun at the ruffian, who was apparently their father. I soon learned that they no longer lived with this man and that they were on their way back to their mother's. At one point the man said to the girls, "I want you to know that I still care about y'all, even though I'm not really around anymore. I love you both very much." The two girls, sedated by these magic words, ceased their swinging and both moved to give their Dad a gigantic hug. For the remainder of their trip, the girls curled up next to their father with their heads placed in his lap.
The girls were acting like monkeys because their father was allowing it. He wanted there to be nothing negative about the brief time he had with his daughters, and so he ignored their obnoxious behavior. I found the whole thing very endearing and couldn't help but smile for the remainder of my bus ride.

After I get off the bus I still have to walk a little way to get home. The bus passes directly in front of my apartment, but they didn't see fit to put a stop there. I don't really mind though, mainly because I've developed a frighteningly intimate relationship with my new headphones, and this just allows me more time to groove before getting back to whatever it is that I have to get back to once I'm home. On the last bit of my return journey, I noticed a couple of hooligans trespassing on the basketball court. The basketball court has a good number of security cameras set up around it, so trespassing for any duration of time would normally be a futile effort. I'm creepy, and was also hoping to bear witness to the inevitable chase that would result from their miscreance, so I stopped to watch them for awhile. It turned out they weren't just a couple of miscreants, they were also a couple. Two kids, shooting some hoops, and swooning between baskets. It was really freaking cute! Especially since the girl was on par with her partner, and neither were novices. I watched for about 15 minutes (I told you I was creepy...), before heading back.

My short adventure had caused my mood to explode. I'd gone from sullen drudgery to giddy contentment. It didn't take too long to figure out to what specifically I should attribute my incredibly positive sentiments: Those with goodness enough to break the rules when they need to be broken.

Don't be afraid to break the rules. Rules are suggestions, they exist to prevent calamity and ensure organization. If you're responsible and possess a decent head on your shoulders, you'll find that rules often need to be broken to make the best of a situation. At least 8 people are wearing smiles tonight because someone was courageous enough to stray from what's dictated as "proper." There's right and wrong, and then there are rules. We can't always do things for the right reasons, and that's why there are rules. So go forth! Be selfish, but not callous. Be courageous, but not ignorant. Break some rules and forge smiles, but damage nothing and harm no one!