Community Rules - Continued

From my previous post "Community Rules" Maggie asked me the question. "How will you find out what those rules are?" I talked a bit about this in my comment following Sarah's question on the post. However, I had another experience that has helped me understand a few new things.

I believe that rules of society can be learned in many ways, two of which I believe are observation and direct instruction. This last Friday I sang in the tabernacle with the women’s choir I belong to. We wore a lei as part of our outfit. I do not usually wear leis. I thought that the lei looked best pulled down long in the front, but as I looked around at all of the women from the choir many of them had the lei pulled out wider on the shoulders so it did not hang as low in the front. I was wondering if I should switch how I was wearing mine, but I rather liked how it looked the way I had it, so I kept it that way. Before we went up to sing our director gave us a few instructions. One of which was how we were suppose to wear our leis. Apparently wearing the lei so it spreads out more across the shoulders rather than hangs long in the front is the proper way to wear a lei. I had no idea! I had observed how many of the women were wearing their leis, but I did not know that was the correct way until our director told me. I have reflected for some time since the concert. There were rules of society, for example how a lei should be worn, that I was unaware of. I almost discovered this rule through observation, but it wasn't until I received direct instruction that I fully understood the rule and why it was that way.

In each community there are different rules. I know there will be many things about the culture in Mexico that I will not understand. I can learn some of these things through observation. At times as well, I hope that I will learn some of these things through direct instruction. It is likely that those around me, whom I will have become friends with, will help me know these rules by simple telling them to me. Through these means I can learn the rules and then choose to live them so that I am part of the community. Then I too can join in with the rest so as to not be the only woman in the whole choir who is not wearing my lei properly.