Cosmic Rule One: Rules are Made to Be Broken.
But first learn the rules so you know how to
break them properly!!
We make Exceptions when the occasion calls for it.
The Secret is always to email first so we can understand the parameters
ahead of time.
No Rudeness Allowed! The Mistake is to just show up and demand your way.
It is so rude to show up, claim you don't have a clue what the rules are,
and make life miserable for us by arguing. The respect we ask for is to
contact us ahead of time so we can either find a compromise or at least
gracefully explain our position without making a scene.
(The
Lady Who Wouldn't take
"NO" for an answer)
Cosmic Rule Two:
Don't let a little dispute injure a great
friendship.
Rules are made for a reason, but not everyone agrees with the reason.
People have a way of not thinking the reasons are quite as important when
it comes to their own special situation. Unfortunately, the rights of the individual are
nearly always outweighed by the rights of the majority.
Most of our rules are simple to understand like our "No Smoking" rule. The
ones most students object to are the more subtle ones like no kids or no
watching or no signing up in the third week. What would it hurt to look
the other way??
Unfortunately we have
instance after instance where breaking our rules to make an exception
backfired. Consequently we have learned the hard way that these rules must be enforced
even when it might be you. Please forgive us for standing our
ground.
Here are two examples where making exceptions came back to haunt us:
(Being Nice to Children Backfires)
(Letting One Couple Avoid
Switching Sabotages the Entire Class)
By the way, not everyone does actually forgive us for standing our ground.
(Carolyn de los Santos)
Cosmic Rule Three:
Policy is a guide to the
wise and a rule to the fool.
Sometimes we do make
Exceptions.
Nothing is written in stone. If you think we have made
a mistake in one of our
rules or wonder if we could make an exception,
please bring it to our attention and we
will think about it some more.
(Example 1): We don't allow
watching, but sometimes we do.
(Example
2): We don't let kids come to class, but if they are old
enough or almost old enough we will let them take a class.
(Example
3): We don't let people start in the third week, but sometimes
we do.
Cosmic Rule Four:
Computers
allow humans to make more
mistakes faster than any other invention in history (with the
possible exception of handguns, atom bombs and tequila...)
After a series of enormous problems with
over-crowding in 2000, SSQQ installed an ambitious computerized
Registration system to keep careful track of the Thousand-Plus students
who visit SSQQ each month.
Five years of experience with this Registration System has shown it to be
a Blessing about 98% of the time and a Curse 2% of the time. Like any
traffic accident, the problems usually boil down to human error on our
part or your part, but that knowledge never seems to soften the irritation
that comes with each snafu.
(The Courtney Walsh Story)
