No Harm, No Foul: Secret Subject Swap

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 9 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret   in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.

My subject is: What is one rule you never break?
It was submitted by: Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog.

This is a difficult one for me because, in general, I tend to be a rule follower. In fact, I get very angry when I see others break them. I remember waiting in the pick-up line for school to get out. Since I refused to get there 45 minutes early, my car was usually fairly far back. Yes, I could see spots ahead where cars weren't quite on each others' bumpers and you could sort of, almost, but not really shove partially in between cars, but I (we all) remained dignified and followed the rules. Well, almost all of us. There was inevitably that one parent who drove past us all, stuck the nose of her car in a spot where a bicycle wouldn't fit and blocked the passing lane. People like that, people who go through life thinking the rules are for everyone else, infuriate me. Partially, if I have to admit the truth, because she treats everyone else who follows the rules like a sucker, and that's just how I ended up feeling.

But, in keeping with the question you ask, Rabia, the truth is that as you go through life, part of maturity is assessing which rules can actually be ignored, or blurred at least. Not a rule, but I remember when my husband and I went through the whole infertility process. We were forced with very difficult decisions and each step of the way felt we needed to have some serious discussion. How much of this can we do physically? Emotionally? Monetarily? Logistically? We decided, each step of the way, to take that step and that was it. Without a doubt we would not go so far as to try in vitro. It was very expensive at the time (at least $10,000 per attempt), emotionally difficult, and at the time the chances of success were about 10% per try. But we crossed our own lines. Every one. And now, thanks to in vitro, we have two sons. 

This situation was not about rules, of course, but it was about setting clear limits and, when toes hit that line, crossing it. Adults understand that rules work that way too. After all, one of the most important rules to me was to be honest. And then I had kids. One of the most basic and primary values I tried to impart in them was honesty, yet I'd be dishonest if I didn't say that I blurred that line myself a time or two while raising them. 

"The Golden Rule" (does anyone even know what that is any more?) is one that comes to mind. I always try to treat others as I would want to be treated myself. But, again, having been taken advantage of and treated like a doormat a time or two, I've had to amend this one as well. Even with my own children I've been in situations where I was forced to choose between doing what was in my nature to do for them, what I as a person really wanted to do for them (after all, self esteem partially comes from feeling that you are a person who does for others) and putting my foot down because they were consistently not behaving in a manner that deserved my efforts. {{sigh}} Why do kids have to make things so hard?

Speaking of "do unto others", one rule I absolutely never break is to replace the toilet paper roll. And I never eat the last treat, or anything for that matter, always leaving some for the next person. But I have a feeling you're getting at something a little more consequential here.

Tropical Fruit Pie

I've given this some thought before, not only in my own life but in my role as a parent. Since most rules are (have to be) up to situational interpretation, if I had to come up with a rule I never break, it would actually have to be one that doesn't even really apply to me (how's that for ironic?). It's the Hippocratic Oath, taken by med students. Really, though, to me, it is the essence of what we should all stand for, the line we should all draw and never cross. No matter who we are, no matter where we are, no matter what the situation may be, "first, do no harm." 

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

Cognitive Script
The Lieber Family Blog
The Bergham Chronicles 

Southern Belle Charm
The Blogging 911
 Never Ever Give Up Hope
My Brand of Crazy
Climaxed 

Tropical Fruit Pie

                                                              ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe


Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flakes
8 oz can crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP melted butter 
3 egg yolks (use the egg whites to make my Giant Fudgy Flourless Cookies)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
6 TBSP orange juice
small can mandarin orange segments, drained

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread coconut flakes onto a small pan. Toast for about 3 minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove from oven, cool, and set aside for garnish.
*Drain the crushed pineapple, reserving 2 TBSP of the juice. Place the pineapple between paper towels and press to completely drain.
*Place the walnuts and sugar in a food processor and pulse to crumbs. Add the butter and process until it comes together. Press into and most of the way up the sides of a greased 9 inch pie plate.
*Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees. 
*Whisk the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, reserved pineapple juice and the orange juice until smooth. Whisk in the drained crushed pineapple. Pour into the prepared crust.
*Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are brown and the center is completely set. 
*Cool on the counter for 1/2 hour, then move to refrigerator to cool completely. Garnish with toasted coconut and mandarin oranges.