Rules

A life in the 21st century is a life without rules. There are no guidelines for how to get a date, how to get a job, where you should live, how you should treat people or what kind of relationships you should pursue. There are lots of top ten lists, lots of tips and strategies, but no yardstick by which to measure your life. We have no rules, just goals such as "make a lot of money" or "fulfill your dreams." But I often wonder which goals I should chase, and how I should gauge my progress. If you have suggestions, please let me know.

The only real advice America has to give is "go to college." Then everything will be okay. Oh, and don't do drugs or get pregnant too young or smoke. But we know that college is hardly a ticket to the good life. It takes so much more, and sometimes I think it may take more than I am prepared to give.

Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I want a quick fix, a set of rules to tell me exactly what to do. Then everything would be easy. But more than rules for how to live, I want to know what my goal should be—money, love or helping the poor. Those are the choices, right?