I did a little experiment.

I put the ironing board in the living room for all the crumpled things that need ironing out in the morning.

Instead of running up and down the stairs I said to myself just put it next to the couch.

So I did.

I left it open for a day or two.

And after only eight hours over 20 individual items had collected on that ironing board — someone’s brush a stack of letters two or three key chains two wallets loose change a hat a sweater a watch and a piece of fruit.

It was like a magnet.

The other day we were at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Before you’re even allowed into the embassy you have to check your belongings at a security place across the street. You’re not allowed to bring in anything beyond the documents you need – no cell phone no devices. Across the street you can buy a steaming cup of coffee and a Danish and even get your passport pictures taken. They have it all worked out.

As we stood in line at the embassy the smell of the beach and seagulls in the air I looked at all the interesting characters who’d made it to Israel. There were about ten people in the line and I wondered how all these characters were going to handle relinquishing all their possessions even for just an hour or two.

Everyone who entered was informed of the same thing: they still had something on them they weren’t allowed to bring inside.

One man still had the keys to his car; another was still holding on to his coffee. And one family had just bought a brand-new pack of chewing gum. They were asked to get rid of the pack.

“But it’s a new pack” the father explained “and it’s a big waste to throw it away.” He didn’t have the strength or patience to go across the street and check it.

The guards weren’t moved.

The family held up the line deciding whether they should divide up all the pieces of gum among themselves and chew them on the spot throw the box away or just store it across the street for ten shekels.

My daughter was shocked at the security measures. I felt like we were going into prison. One heavy door after another locked behind us.

We waited while the family debated.

It’s really hard to stay within guidelines. Small things not in the right place or time make a person stick out hold up lines and get others aggravated.

As I was standing in this line I was thinking about what a feat it was that we’d all managed to leave Mitzrayim because this is exactly what we had to do — to just take the bare minimum. It takes real talent and determination to stick to rules and to be in the right place at the right time. To not stick out.

I see it in life especially in school when a child wants to start looking a little different act a little different stick out a bit.

It starts there.

Like an ironing board that doesn’t belong in the living room somehow becomes a magnet for clutter and mess.

Things out of place create chaos.

I was reading something which quoted an old Japanese saying: “A nail that sticks out gets banged.”

When we’re out of place trying to do too much and not respecting our own boundaries we get banged and others get snagged. Like a nail that sticks out.