explicating the code of conduct of my youth

I see that neither of my fellow BeagleBoys (I have a friend who calls us the Beaglestonians, which has a nice dignified ring to it, but BeagleBoys has it's own folksy charm) has taken any notice of the code of conduct spelled out for us by CPD in the fifties, and likely to this day as their code is well-formed to my opinion.


SOCIAL HABITS

Practices courtesy in speech and action.  I couldn't agree more,  There is never an excuse to be rude.  In my wild youth I sometimes thought that good manners were a kind of hypocrisy, and you know I still do a bit, but I am a lot softer on hypocrisy than I was as an uncompromising youth.  I mean it doesn't cost that much to be polite.  We should all be good people, but we are imperfect and we all do bad (except Beagles), and that is just the human natural, but there is no reason why we can't be polite, even while doing bad.

Works and plays well with others. Hum, well what is there besides work and play?  If you get down to it our environment is not the stormy sea or the dusty desert or the tower in the middle of the shiny city or the wild jungle of Beaglesonia.  It is other people.  Seems like you can get by with not working well with others, though you should at least be polite, but if you don't play well with others nobody will want to play with you.

Conforms to school regulations.  This is very self-serving.  This is The Man planting his jackboot upside your backside.  We don't need no stinking school regulations.  I'm not fond of this one.

Accepts responsibility.  I have never been a big fan of responsibility.  I have ducked it as well as I could throughout my life, but when it has come to pass, I suppose I have accepted it well enough.  Somebody has to be responsible.  I guess the bad part of it is that when you are responsible for something that turns out well, well that was just your responsibility and you don't get any kudos for that, but when it doesn't turn out well, well something has to be done about that, and that generally means that something has to be do done to you.  But there is something manly about telling Pops that it was you who took the axe to that cherry tree.

Respects public and private property.  Well this is pretty political isn't it?   Well certainly we should respect public property (like don't litter on the public trans), because that belongs to The People,  Private property, well property is theft isn't it?  Well that's what I thought in my youth, except for my property.


WORK AND STUDY HABITS

Comes prepared for work.  I suppose that's okay as long as it means bring enough pencils, but not if it means like wearing a tie and shined shoes.

Uses careful methods of work.  This is like, oh being neat, which was a weak point of my early academic career, I never got those extra two points for neatness.  I have never been a big fan or work, but if there is work to do, the criterion should be if it's done, not how it's done.  It's like the boss standing over you telling you to use this wrench not that one, it's not tolerable

Completes work on time.  As the reader can see this was never one of my strong points.  Nevertheless I see the point. I was wrong.  I take responsibility.

Keeps profitably busy.  Isn't this a judgement call?  I used to spend a lot of time day dreaming. aren't we supposed to follow our dreams?

Cares for material and equipment.  This is reasonable enough.


HEALTH AND SAFETY HABITS

Practices simple health rules.  I think this means bathe regularly, fair enough.  I wonder if it also has something to do with carrying a handkerchief because that was something Mom always made me do.  But frankly I never saw the point.  Wouldn't you rather blow your nose into, I don't know, whatever is handy, rather than fill that handkerchief with snot and put it back in your pocket?  I don't think people carry them anymore but they used to be in all the drug stores, on the shelf by the combs.  Remember combs?  Especially the ones with that little pocket clip so it could nestle next to your pens.  Combs were very big in your teen years of course, but they faded rapidly after young adulthood.  I have one in my bathroom and I use it after my shower, but after that my hair doesn't see a comb until after the next shower.

Observes traffic and other safety rules.  I got hit by a car when I was in high school and again when I was a freshman in college.  At the time I thought that it would be happening to me regularly for the rest of my life, but it hasn't happened since.


I guess there are other issues of the day, but I have been profitably busy explicating this code of conduct, and I will not be completing any other work today.