One day my mum met some lady in town, and they started talking about different things, and then my mum asked me if I would like to do that, as though I knew what she had been talking about. I hadn't been listening because I had been looking at a picture in a shop window. Anyway, it seems that there was something going on at a school and my mum wanted to know if I wanted to take part. I wasn't particularly interested until she mentioned that I could dress up as a pirate. This caught my interest.
A couple of evenings later, my mum dressed me up like a pirate and took me to the school, and I walked up and down a stage for people to look at me. I thought this was silly because pirates didn't walk up and down on a stage for nobody, but evidently, I won second prize, which made my mum very happy.
The rabbit had told me once that my life should be considered an adventure and no positive experience should be avoided or wasted. He had said I was like an adventurer seeking the world's wonders, but I wondered if that meant parading up and down a stage dressed like a pirate.
I had noticed that life seemed to have rules, such as - 'Don't do this,' and 'Don't do that.' I told the rabbit I had wanted to be a real pirate because real pirates had more fun because they didn't have stupid rules. He'd said that pirates only had more fun until they were caught and were made to walk the plank. It then occurred to me that perhaps there were certain rules that I should know. For example -- if there was a basic rule to life, then I thought I should at least be made aware of it. I had asked my mum for a basic rule, and she said that I should be good.
Being good wasn't something I instinctively felt I was ready for, so I went to ask the rabbit for a more acceptable answer.
. . .
"Well, is there a basic rule to life?"
"Yes - be good!" stated the rabbit.
"Not you as well! I'm not ready to learn that rule yet," I stated right back.
The rabbit thought for a while before answering. "There is one basic rule of life and it has to do with understanding people, but you are not ready to fully understand the significance of that one yet."
"Will you tell me one day?" I asked.
"One day. But you have to be ready. In the meantime, there is something which you may want to consider."
"What's that?" I asked enthusiastically.
"Understand the basics."
"Understand what basics?" I asked, frowning.
"You have only aged a few years, and in that short period, you have started to learn things by example, that is - by watching and copying those around you, especially your parents. You will soon start school where you are going to be taught various things necessary for your journey through life."
"Yes. Mum said that school is the best part of life. I'm glad that they put the best adventure upfront."
"Without necessarily knowing it, you are learning some of the basics of life now. For example, from your parents, you are starting to see the basics of people interaction. How your parents interact with each other will have a long-lasting effect on how you will interact with people."
"Why? Why should I copy what they do? What if what they are doing is wrong?"
"It's good that you should ask. I don't think enough people ask themselves that question. It could be that your parents are not particularly good at interaction, but how can you tell? How do you know what is good interaction and what isn't? What you witness is new, and anything new is neither right nor wrong - it is only a new experience. Only after it has left a first impression can you evaluate it, and first impressions are virtually impossible to erase."
"That sounds like a... I'm not sure what."
"Paradox?" prompted the rabbit.
"I don't think it's one of those."
"Do you know what a paradox is?"
"No, that's why it can't be one, otherwise I would know it."
"Really?" smiled that rabbit. "Regardless, you are right to question the process of learning by example. The mere fact that you are learning by example also means that you could also be learning things that are wrong, incorrect, biased or prejudice."
"I could?"
"Yes. It is important to understand that this method of learning has its pitfalls and that you should always question and think about what you have learnt so that you can determine for yourself if it is right or wrong."
"It is?"
"Yes, but knowing this, you are in a slightly better position to reject something if you determine that it is not correct, if it not right, or it is not proper."
"I am?"
"Yes. What else are your parents teaching you?"
"They've tried to teach me what they keep saying are good manners," I interjected.
"Do they practice these manners in front of you?"
"Yes, I guess they do - most of the time - I think! - I don't know."
"Regardless, you need to understand them and learn them well because good manners are the basics of people interaction. Manners have stood the test of time and are recognised by almost everyone everywhere."
"Ah! So that is why manners are considered the basics because if everything fails, I can always use good manners."
"Well done! That's correct, and it works with everything, in sports for example - get to thoroughly understand the basic manoeuvres and when all else fails, you can rely on those manoeuvres to help you out."
"But what if I want to win?" I asked.
"You should always try to win, but we'll talk about winning at a later date."
"So, what's wrong with you tellin' me now?"
"Nothing is wrong with me telling you anything. I just can't explain everything at once! Winning is a subject for another day. In the meantime, let's concentrate on the basics of life. These basics are the foundation of winning at all walks of life."
"What's basics gotta do with winning?" I asked.
"Look at the basics as being a solid foundation. You wouldn't build a house on a shaky foundation, would you? You wouldn't set sail around the world, not knowing even the basics of how to sail.
"I guess not", I confessed
"You need to know the basics before you continue this adventure through life.
"I still wanted to get straight to winning, but I was starting to see some sense in what the rabbit was saying, and so it suddenly seemed that once I got these basic things out of the way, we could get to more important stuff. So I decided to hurry things up a bit.
"I wan'na know more about manners," I demanded.
The rabbit rolled his eyes up and shook his head. "Proper use of the basic language is a good starting point AND, demanding like that is hardly good etiquette."
"I don't like stupid words."
"'Etiquette' isn't a stupid word. It means the proper use of manners", explained the rabbit.
I didn't want an explanation. I just wanted the rabbit to stop using words I hadn't heard before.
"If in an encounter with someone when all else fails, then good verbal communication is another sound basic to fall back on."
"Oh, I get it, sound - that's verbal communication, ain't it?"
"That's not exactly what I meant," stated the rabbit as he continued, "Good body language is another which can be very enlightening..."
"What's body language? I rudely interrupted.
"If I said yes while shaking my head from side to side, what do you think I mean?"
"I don't know."
"I probably mean no."
"Why do you mean no when you said yes?"
"Because body language is more important than verbal language..."
"Why?"
"If you let me finish... verbal language has only been around for a short while, and people from around the world speak different languages. Body language, on the other paw...
"Paw?"
"...other hand, has been around as long as people have roamed the earth. It's part of you. What I am trying to impress upon you is, if you cannot talk properly or act properly, how can you ever hope to communicate on higher levels?"
"What levels?" I asked. This life was starting to have more answers than I had questions.
"Another day! Another day!" said the rabbit.
He was looking a little exhausted.
"You wanted to know about manners?" asked the rabbit.
"Yes, but there is a lot to learn isn't there?" I asked with a sigh, suddenly realising that my life may not be long enough to learn everything.
"Yes there is a lot to learn, but a good rule is to greet, treat and retreat from people with the same respect that you would want them to greet, treat and retreat from you, and then refine it from there. If you always make people want to know you, make them feel good to be around you, then you are on the right track towards displaying good manners and establishing a basic foundation upon which to build friendships. Always aim to leave people with a memory of you."
"People remember this kid," I said with a smirk on my face.
"I'm sure they do, but do they remember you for the right reasons?" asked the rabbit.
"I don't know, but I dressed up as a pirate. People will remember me for that," I offered.
"I'm sure they will," said the rabbit with a smile.
I went home.
. . .