Four Good “Habits” that Defied the Norm
Organizations like to stress the importance of critical thinking and finding creative solutions to problems. Yet, too many people don’t bother, thinking it is time-consuming or difficult. They blindly follow the rules or norms dictated to them without allowing themselves to believe there is usually a workaround to conventional thinking.
Naysayers exist in almost every corner of our lives. They are easy to spot. They are the ones who might say “Don’t do that, it’s against our policy” or “You can’t do that. A rule is a rule”.
People with that mindset drive me nuts. To be clear, I do not advocate cheating or breaking any laws. All societies or cultures need a system of rules and laws to function effectively.
But sometimes certain rules border on the ridiculous, where you lose sight of why that rule was enabled in the first place. That is where it calls for some creative thinking to bend those rules just a bit, in the interest of plain common sense.
This concept reminds me of a story my grandmother liked to share from years ago.
In the early years of their marriage, my grandparents operated a farm located near the parish church. A narrow cornfield separated their barn from the convent where the nuns lived. Because of the close proximity, Grandma got to know many of the parish nuns very well and would help them out whenever she could.
On one occasion, when one of the nuns had a birthday, Grandma baked a birthday cake for her. She put the cake on a fancy plate, placed it in a cake carrier with a lid that fastened onto the base, along with a serving utensil. When she delivered it to the convent, the sisters were thrilled for the special treat they would have for dessert that night. They promised Grandma they would return all the cake items within a few days.
Back then, there was a strict rule in which the nuns were not allowed to go in anyone’s private home. There had to be a valid reason for such a visit, like to minister to a sick person, or to borrow/return items that were used for church purposes.
If you are quietly shaking your head right now thinking what a bizarre church rule this was, I wholeheartedly agree. But that’s just the way it was then.
One of the nuns could have easily returned the cake supplies. But those clever sisters found a way that more could participate without breaking any rules.
A few days after delivering the cake, my grandparents were milking cows in the barn. They happened to look out the window in time to see four nuns trudging through the cornfield toward them.
One sister was carrying the fancy plate. Another was carrying the cake carrier. A third was holding the carrier lid. The fourth had the serving utensil. Each of them had a valid reason for paying a social call — they were each returning an item that was used for “church purposes”.
Four nuns who defied the norm and were not afraid to stretch their creative muscles without breaking their vow of obedience. It doesn’t take any religious affiliation to admire their simple ingenuity.
As crazy as it sounds, when I find myself believing something is impossible, I picture four nuns walking through a cornfield. That usually snaps me out of my brain freeze. After all, if a group of cloistered nuns can think outside the box and produce innovative solutions, there is no excuse for any of us not to do the same.
