NO PHOTO! Life lesson.

I have never been one to break the rules.

In fact, I'm actually quite boring. I've never tried any drugs. I don't smoke or drink. I've never stolen anything. I never got detentions in school. I don't talk back to my parents and they never grounded me. I don't honk at people and I've never gotten a speeding ticket. The most trouble I've ever been in with the police was being in a park after sundown - although I admit this has happened on more than a few occasions. I was always terrified of punishment, so I never did anything to warrant it.

Now that I'm an adult, I operate under the assumption that no one will scold me, anymore. For the most part, that's true. Aside from my dad telling me to be quiet every now and then, I've escaped mostly discipline-free the last few years.

Except for one time.

Last summer, I traveled to Italy with my dad for a couple weeks. The trip was absolutely incredible, I took a million pictures, and I'm already searching frantically for reasons to return. Although I loved Venice, my favorite Italian city was Florence. We spent hours perusing the outdoor markets and gold shops on the Ponte Vecchio, ate gelato and listened to musicians play Simon & Garfunkel covers in the Piazza della Signoria, and stared in awe as the beautiful colors of the buildings came to life as the sun slowly set over the Arno River.

My favorite Florentine memory, however, came from the depths of the Galleria della Accademia. After waiting in line in the hot sun for nearly two hours, we finally entered the small art museum. The size of the museum paled in comparison to the nearby Uffizi Gallery, but the Galleria had something far more special - Michelangelo's David.

Although I'm not necessarily an art fanatic, I've always loved David. To me, he is the flawless depiction of male beauty - towering in size and chiseled flawlessly in all the right places. Michelangelo's precision staggers me. The veins in David's arms and unusually large hands would be hard to create in clay, let alone marble. He is simultaneously human and god, real and unreal, the height of human engineering, the culmination of art and science. Although he represents the triumph of man, he is more than man, leaving tourists with a feeling of both appreciation and envy. If you ignore his not-so-impressive package, David is the quintessence of masculine perfection - strong, healthy, young, and colossal.

We all know that I am somewhat of an aficionado of the male body. So, my obsession with David makes sense. Sure enough, he took my breath away in person. He was everything I wanted and more. You turn the corner and, at the end of a long hallway lined with Michelangelo's Captives, there he is. Elevated high off the ground, he stands there, frozen in time, the sun shining on him in this naturally-lit room. I nearly crumbled to the ground.

However, I was with my dad. So, I pulled myself together and secretly wiped the drool off my chin. Guards were circling the perimeter, making sure no one got too close and threatening to kill anyone who took any pictures. I stood there, unable to peel my eyes from him, and was faced with a dilemma.

How do I come face-to-face with the most beautiful man-made creation of all-time and not take a picture?

I tried to rationalize doing it. I can find a picture of David on the internet, but it's just not the same. I may never see him again. If I'm subtle, the guards will never know. On the other hand, however, my immense fear of punishment continued to work its ugly way into my consciousness. What if they see me? What if they kick me out? Is it worth it? I could always just google him or buy a postcard.

After ten minutes of internal struggle, I finally decided to do it. Just once. I worked up all the courage I could muster, made sure my flash was off, and I snapped this.


I held my breath and heard nothing. I glanced around and reassured myself that no one had seen. I felt so naughty. I got such a rush from taking the first picture that I decided to take another. From a different angle.


Then another.


Suddenly, I heard the horrific sound I had been dreading. A stern woman's voice with a heavy Italian accent screamed from across the room, "NO PHOTO!" I tried my best to act oblivious. I looked around with a quizzical look on my face, trying to frame nearby tourists, but there was absolutely no fooling this woman. She stomped toward me with fire in her eyes and continued to scream, "NO PHOTO! NO PHOTO!" I had been caught red-handed. Everyone tore their eyes away from David to look at me. Tears began to fill my eyes and my face turned a shade of red that was actually much closer to purple.

Then, I did something that I still can't explain. I just walked away. My dad, who actually seemed to be laughing despite my mortified reaction, followed me. We stood outside for a moment, tears streaming down my face, ashamed that I had blatantly broken the rules of a such a highly-esteemed institution and disgraced by the attention I had attracted. For a person who cries when someone honks at them, this was utter humiliation.

My dad continued to laugh and shout "NO PHOTO!" at me. Then, in a desperate effort to soothe my pain, he bought me a coconut gelato. Slowly but surely, I regained my composure.

About an hour later, we sat on a bench and I pulled my camera out. Still hesitant, I scanned through the pictures...and a smile slowly came to my face. I had made the right decision. Those pictures were totally worth it.

It was in that moment that I realized for the first time that some rules are meant to be broken. Living your life by the rules might be safe, but it's also boring. You only live once - do it right the first time. Why live with regret? Push yourself to do something out of your comfort zone. It will change the way you view the world and it usually makes for the best memories.

Walk through the door that says 'Employees Only.' Stay out later than you should. Sing loudly and dance without shame. Live spontaneously. Try not to make detailed plans for everything. Talk to a stranger. Spend more than you should. Tell someone how you truly feel about them. Be a more outgoing version of yourself. You'll thank yourself later.

Clearly, I'm not much of a rebel if the most scandalous thing I've ever done is sneak a photo of a sculpture, but you get the picture (no pun intended). I'm still not an advocate for rule-breaking, but sometimes, in the right circumstances and within reason, it's worth the consequences.

...and hey! I can always have my way with imitation David in Las Vegas whenever I want.