I’m a rule follower. So are my two sisters. We’re not sure where we got this, but it’s definitely hard-wired into our personalities. For example, if the walk light says, “Don’t Walk,” I don’t.

If a sign instructs me to “wait here,” well, I wait. Honestly, I thought that’s how everyone approached life.

But no.

Now I don’t want to go making politically incorrect statements, but in my experience, the rule-breakers have usually been men.

I’m not talking giant, life-altering rule breaking. I’m talking finding a shortcut when a line is too long, or looking both ways and then walking. Even when the red hand on the walk light is flashing.

Things that might actually make life easier.

Unless, of course you’re a rule follower. Then, those actions would make you crazy. Or at the very least, stressed.

A few months ago, when the dirt road leading to the pasture was a pit of oozing, primordial slime, I had to figure out a way to drive on the grass to avoid sinking up to our bumper every time I went to feed Bud and Pepper.

This picture doesn’t do justice to the slippery, slimy nature of the mud. Not to mention the depth of the ruts. We’re talking Grand Canyon, here.

There were times when it was a little scary, because once those ruts got hold of the car, I had no control. It was a small, frightening lesson in learning to let go and trust.

Now when my husband accompanied me, he had an entirely different approach. It was the “cowboy up” approach. Don’t try to avoid the ruts. In fact, aim for them. Yee Haw!

And this leads me to our  second encounter at the Saturn dealership. I do think we are getting a reputation there.

Does it mean something that the service staff can’t make eye contact anymore?

Or that there is an echo of snickering down the hall as the mechanic walks away?

Maybe.

So after one of the Yee Haw sessions, where my husband was rodeoing down the road, he noticed that he was having trouble steering the car. It shook, it shimmied, it definitely didn’t feel right.

Hmm… I wonder why?

The rule follower knew, but also knew enough not to say anything. This is a mini-course in marriage counseling. I am, after all a trained professional, and on occasion, I take my own advice!

This was one of those times.

Smart girl, eh?

Here’s what our car looked like most of the winter. They were sooo happy to see us at the dealership.

It turns out, there was so much mud packed behind the wheels, it was affecting the car’s alignment. They used some kind of mega power washer to blast out the mud that had hardened into concrete.

We’ve learned to pay the extra bucks and get the super-duper undercarriage wash at the car wash.

They never mentioned that in the horse books either.