Sometimes It Pays To Break Your Own Rules

 

 We spend much of our bound by our own rules. We make judgements about what is right or wrong. We develop habits that dictate how we go about our daily living.

We can be very firm in our opinions and beliefs. That is why a friendly discussion over politics or religion can quickly turn into a heated argument. I enjoy discussing both, but not so much on the Internet.

We even have a special category for minor annoyances of things that don't meet our approval. we call pet peeves.

 Most of us could name a few. Here are three of my personal pet peeves:

1)People who throw lit cigarette buts out their car window- (especially if they bounce under my gas tank).

2)School buses that stop at each individual house even when the houses are right next to each other. What ever happened to bus stops? Is it that difficult to walk 10 feet to your neighbor's house?

3) Radio commercials that use honking horns in their commercials. They get me every time with that.

There's always going to be things that we don't like. Things are constantly changing and we don't always like change. Everyone has different points of view about things and they may be different than yours. The key is to try to be open-minded and flexible.

So what does all this have to do with birds? At some point I decided that I don't like crowded beaches and made a personal rule that I would not go to beaches during the summer on weekends. For this reason, I only visit Hammonasset during the off season when there is no admission or crowds.

 

 I recently agreed to make an exception to that rule. My cousin had just purchased new binoculars and wanted to go to Hammonasset to try them out. As I look back at the photos I took that morning I realized that avoiding Hammonnasset during the summer has been a mistake. There were lots of beachgoers at the park but not very many in the areas where I was birding. I had great views of cormorants, terns, plovers, Purple Martins, and many other species that avoided my camera.  

 

  Over the years I've changed my taste in food, work habits, and even my outlook on certain aspects of life. Sometimes it pays to take another look at our own opinions, habits, and self-imposed rules.

 

Do you have any pet peeves? Have you ever changed one of your own rules and wondered why didn't I do this a long time ago?