Change

Growing up, I had a list of things that I was never going to do as an adult. This wasn’t a whiny defeatist “I’m not able to…” list of grievances. It was a definite, matter-of-fact “this is how it’s gonna be” declaration. I suspect I was a very opinionated kid.

• I’m never gonna learn to drive.
• I’m never gonna get a tattoo. 
• I’m never gonna drink coffee.
• I’m never gonna date a guy who smokes.

<ahem>

• I drive to and from work on a daily basis.
• I have two tattoos and am contemplating a third.
• I’m drinking coffee as I write this.
• My boyfriend of nine years is an inveterate smoker.

I used to be able to eat a whole bowlful of cake and ice cream for breakfast the day after my birthday. This was a tradition my mother started by accident. “Janet, what do you want for breakfast?” “Cake and ice cream!” And she just went with it. Every single year on March 2nd, that's what I got to eat. This initially shocked my college roommates...but did not prevent them from enthusiastically joining in.

These days my after-birthday breakfast usually consists of a couple bites of cake and a mouthful or two of ice cream before moving on to something healthier. Anything more, and my stomach goes into full rebellion mode. It’d probably be better if I gave it up all together, but my sense of tradition still outweighs my desire for a happy tummy some days.

In college, my girls and I would get all dolled up and strut our stuff at the local bars. We’d hit the scene at about 10:00 and stay until the bars closed at 2:00 before going elsewhere for something to eat (seriously, burritos taste amazing at 2:30 in the morning). We’d go coatless in January, short skirts, mile-high heels, and some seriously NSFW tops. 

Now, I can’t remember the last time I wore make-up (thank you, masks). At 10:00 I’m getting ready for bed. Just thinking about being outside at night without a coat anytime between October and April gives me chills. And the only NSFW tops I have these days are my pajama tank tops. But I still like burritos. Some things will never change. 

Whether our childhood opinions fall by the wayside, we grow out of youthful indiscretions, or we start to slow down as we age, we need to accept that people change, for better or worse. And that’s a good thing. Because it’s when you stop changing that you need to worry.

I was originally going to end this post with a quote on how change is good, because it means you’re still alive and still learning. But then I found this one that, while it doesn’t exactly fit in with today’s theme, I like so much more.

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” - Andre Gide, French author & winner of the 1947 Nobel Prize in Literature.