I Really Am a Rule Follower & I'm Passing It On

After the whole camp fiasco, I was charged as being someone who broke the rules. However, anyone who knows me, I mean really knows me, knows this is farthest thing from the truth. I really like to walk the line. The straight and narrow line to be exact. My whole life, I've pretty much been about following the rules (except I am guilty for using poor grammar). Whether it be at work, school or play, and I want everyone else to follow them too. I guess one would maybe even call me anal.

When I was little I remember my sister being more of the chance taker than me. If there were a sign that said, "DO NOT TRESPASS", you could bet your life that I was not going to, not even a step. I remember attending my brother's funeral in NH when I was a senior, and on the car trip home writing a paper for my A.P. English class because I knew that when I got back to school it would be due. It never occurred to me that my professor might make a consideration for me. I mean she said it was due on this day and I was going to have it to turn in. I never skipped school, never! I was a rule keeper.

I'm not trying to pat myself on the back or make it seem as though I am a "goodie two shoes", because I'm not. Often times I kept a rule just because I was scared not to. Scared to break the rules. As an adult, I'm still often times scared. I'm glad that I was born with that "fear" because I think it often times has kept me "safe". However, I also realize that I want to be someone who keeps a rule because I know it is the right thing to do, not just because I'm scared not to. I don't want fear to be my motivator.

So where am I going with all of this? It appear that I may have passed this trait onto my daughters (which is not a bad trait to have if I say so myself. Let's just hope it is a trait that sticks!). Well, when Ariel had to start wearing the rubber bands for her braces, her orthodontist had both of us (me and Ariel) sign this form of all that was expected of her Ie: proper wear of the bands, not to play with the bands, number of hours to wear the bands etc. The form stated that if she did not follow the rules that her treatment would not be effective and that their office would not be held liable.

Well, we signed and along with that signing, we reminded Ariel of how much money was and had been put into her mouth alone AND that she BETTER follow the rules! We only reminded her this one time and she stuck to it. Never complaining.

We started to see the progress of her jaw moving into place. It was amazing. However, Mike started noticing that Ariel's bottom jaw started protruding out and he showed me. I was like, "Hmmm". Mike having had to wear braces as a teenager (bless his heart, he had to have the head gear too. Thank goodness for technology!) he said that he did not think it was normal, and he wanted me to call and check on it.

So, I called the orthodontist, and to make a long story short (or as short as it possibly can be with me telling it. LOL), they wanted me to bring Ariel in to have her checked out. So we took her in on Monday, and Dr. Oliver came out and said that it was normal---that her jaw moved quicker than they thought because she was wearing her bands the right way. He said that most kids don't wear their bands right and/or for the amount of time, so the treatment takes A LOT longer. However, since Ariel was such a good patient she is moving along quicker. She has now moved to another phase in which she has to wear the bands in a triangular shape (and only for 8 hours instead of the 20hrs.). He also said her jaw will move back into it's proper place. He was really impressed (as were his assistants) that Ariel wore her bands everyday for the recommended amount of time. He said he rarely has a patient that does this.

Then I said something that made him (Dr. Oliver) laugh. I said, "Well when you made us sign that paper, I took it seriously. That's too much money to throw into the wind. We made sure Ariel knew the importance of following the rules."

Oh well, I guess some rules are meant to be broken, but I'm not taking my chances....at least not any more. LOL

I was going to try to post a picture of the way Ariel has to wear her bands now, but she did not approve of any of them. In her words, "those are so dorky". But I can say that this new position has been the most painful out of any of the dental work that she has had in her lifetime. What's that saying, "IF it hurts, it must be working." They told her that the bands would cause a little discomfort until she got use to them, but up until now, it had never been an issue.