Rules to Live By While Living in a Tourist Town

It would seem contradictory for me to be calling myself a Freedom Writer and start a blog about rules. What does rules and freedom have in common?

LOTS!

First without rules, freedom can never be achieved. If there were no driving rules, think of the highway chaos. If there were no rules governing our actions, think of the devastation. Rules are important to freedom.

Let me explain.

My family and I recently moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama, a tourist city. Living on the beach has been one of my dreams, and my husband’s, since I could remember. I love my new home and the area.

Many times we will go walking on the beach as the sun’s going down and look at the stars and moon, take in all the salty smells, listen to the waves slipping in and out.

Ahh, it’s heaven.

However, after living here as a local instead of a tourist, I’ve learned a few things. So, I’m going to share some newfound truths or boundaries, (rules to live by), that may be as helpful to you as they have been to me.

Rule #1: Ten Mississippi’s

After the traffic light turns green for me, I wait ten Mississippi’s. One Mississippi, one car speeds through the red light, Two Mississippi, two more zoom through after the first law breaker.

Three Mississippi, the person to my right or left, (that most assuredly is a tourist), tries to go almost getting slammed by car #4 speeding through the red light.

Four, Five, Six Mississippi, the tourist to my right or left is now backing up. Seven, Eight, Nine Mississippi, here comes an Ambulance, Fire and Rescue, or Policeman to take care of the pileup that the three previous red-light-runners just committed.

Ten Mississippi… accelerate carefully, allow the tourist behind me to speed around as they angrily shake a fist, give them a pleasant wave, now mouthed, “I hope you enjoy your stay.”

I’ll be passing them later when they’re pulled over to get their speeding ticket.

I may be local, but my mama didn’t raise a fool.