When I was in college, I got on this "obeying with exactness" kick. I am no longer on that kick. Not because I don't think it's a good idea to be obedient. Just because I don't believe in kicks. I think they may promote "the missing of the point." Like, it's possible for someone to became a slave to a law meanwhile...forgetting the reason for the law.
Anyway. Part of my kick, back in the day, involved following the speed limit. The real reason why I started following the speed limit so strictly wasn't really because I cared about the safety of others - it was because I thought that if I followed it with exactness I would be rewarded with an extra measure of protection.
And probably, I was. But it's not like I was ever a really reckless driver before (in my own opinion - grin). So mostly what I think I was protected from were tickets. Which I was reminded of tonight, when I got pulled over.
Silly Sarah. I ran a red light. The cop asked me why. I said, honestly, "I had no good reason."
I was happy to observe that I didn't regret getting caught. I didn't try to hide the fact that my seat belt hadn't been buckled. I did feel the slightest tinge of blush when I rustled through the glove compartment to find my proof of insurance and registration and came up first with a tampon.
I think I was okay with the situation because I knew I deserved the ticket (so no regret of the consequence), but, I also knew that I'm not a chronic red-light runner (so no overwhelming shame for my disobedience). I reasoned within my head that I hadn't been speeding and had made a poor judgment call about how long the yellow light would last.
As I drove away, though, I buckled my seatbelt (something I rarely do, these days) and wondered if I would be more cautious about approaching yellow lights in the future. I wondered if I would think more about the other cars around me. I thought that I would. I hope that I will.
And I decided that for me, FOR ME, occasionally breaking a law and paying the consequence is a better reminder of what's important than never breaking a law and potentially forgetting the point.
Or maybe I'm just full of it. ;)