Escape Adulthood

The Lesson of Lucy’s Doughnut

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This is what a doughnut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles looks like when my daughter Lucy is done eating it.

I’ve never seen an adult eat a doughnut like this.

Clearly, she doesn’t know the proper way to eat a doughnut. Yet. One more thing we’re gonna have to teach her, I thought as I snapped this photo.

Funny thing, though.

The doughnut police didn’t break down the doors and take away her doughnut eating license for “doing it wrong.”

Sometimes I ask the audiences I speak to for examples of rules they live by that don’t actually exist. I’ve never had anyone raise their hand and say, “You know, I don’t know why I do it, but I always eat the whole doughnut even though sometimes I really just want to eat the frosting and sprinkles.”

Instead, I oftentimes just get silence. People have trouble coming up with rules that don’t exist. That’s because we don’t even know we’re living by them; they’re hard-wired in to the minutia of our everyday life.

Lucy’s doughnut makes me think that the actual number of these rules might be well into the millions.

Will you notice any today in your life?

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Comments

  1. Haha, looks like Lucy and I have taken a page from the same doughnut eating strategy book.

    When eating broccoli, no matter where I am I only eat the top parts, despite looks of madness from other people (you would’ve thought that I just ate a rocket ship by their reactions).

    When you really start to think about the rules you’re following unintentionally, it makes you go “hmm” – in a good way.

  2. J –

    I giggle knowing Lucy is also member of the “Frosting & Sprinkles Please, Hold the Doughnut” Club….she joins three amazing kids, who will happily welcome more rebellious members, my younger nieces and nephew – Rena, 7, Michael, 3, Alea 2.

    • There’s not enough purple in the world. Lots of black, brown, and white, though. Nice shoes!

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