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I don’t understand how God can I have 10 commandments for the whole world and my wife can have 152 just for a house. Kent Graham
Regardless of who you are or what you do, you should always seek advice. From your parents, from your teachers, from scientists, from your president, from the Internet, or a code of law adopted by your state or your nation.
To survive and thrive, you need to have a clear set of rules stating what is kosher and what is not.
In our small community, the Fédération Internationale de Pétanque occasionally issues some technical rules, but that’s not enough. Besides practical rules, we also need moral guidance.
We cannot have among us players harboring wicked thoughts.
So far since nobody has come up with a clear set of moral rules, I took it upon myself to propose the following 10 commandments:
1-You shall have no other gods than Fanny, the Goddess of Pétanque.
2-You shall not idolize any bocce ballplayer.
3-You shall not take the name of the arbitre in vain.
4-You shall keep the Sabbath day jolly.
5-You shall honor your partners and opponents alike.
6-You shall not commit murder over a lost game.
7-You shall not commit adultery with a member of another club.
8-You shall not steal oldsters boule retrieving magnets.
9-You shall not bear false witness against your opponents.
10-You shall not covet your partner’s wife, nor his maidservant, nor his ass.
I am fully aware that these rules do not cover the entire spectrum of moral conduct, but this is just the new dawn of moral rectitude. Anybody playing our game should abide by these virtuous guidelines, and if not, be flogged and let loose in the desert.
The initial Ten Commandments, if you care to remember, were given to Moses by God. My own commandments were inspired by Fanny (the goddess of Pétanque) and also by my friend Jean-Michel, an ardent disciple of the game and a Fanny worshiper.
He takes the game very seriously and faithfully obeys the rules. He was often close to committing murder after losing a game, but he always managed to restrain himself. It is why Fanny looks upon him with great compassion.
When you go to the field, Make Pétanque Great Again by embracing and following my divinely inspired commandments.
Thank you for your attention.
Alain