Change?

I know that one of the most important lessons in life is to adapt to change. Regardless of whether it is perceived as something good or even horrible change is a part of life. I know that as a kid growing up I didn’t really understand that most people didn’t move every couple of years. I was an Air Force Brat that moved and always had new houses. My guess is that I lived in over 20 different houses during my 17 years with my parents.

I was blessed to have a mom who didn’t give me any choice but to adapt to new places and was too quick to knock on the neighbor’s door and introduce her sons. I never lacked friends or a sense of belonging even though my parents never owned their own house until I was a 10^th grader. As an adult I haven’t changed the pattern of living from my military parents. Anne and I have lived in over 20 houses in our 40 years of marriage. This isn’t necessarily something to brag about when it comes to stability and a sense of home for your kids who at some point grow up and become adults.

The challenge with change is to learn how to use it for your own advantage, new day, new life and new opportunities. I know this sounds rather trite but it does add an adventurous side to life. I know that I will have many friends in life that will be there for a short time because of our culture’s transitory tendency. I also know that life brings changes that aren’t necessarily our choice but happens. I have some best friends that now seem almost like acquaintances. I also have the experience almost on a weekly basis of hooking up with new friends that seem to fill in where other friends had been. (This is still a sad experience.)

I know this last week as we were pulling into my Starbucks, yes I call it mine because I go there everyday, yet I know that the Baristas will change and even the manager, who is a good friend could also be gone. Yet, I’m learning to continue to let my mom’s voice of the past be my guide, ‘Go make new friends and be quick to talk to someone you don’t know!’ As I’m getting out of our truck with the dogs and Anne I see a sign on the Super Cut’s door, we are closing this location please drive to this other location. (The sad fact was that this other location was a 30-minute drive.) I was just told that my stylist for the last 5 years was gone. I was going to have to find another place to get my gray locks trimmed.

I was bent out of shape over the closing of Super Cuts because I don’t like having someone different do my hair with the chance they might mess it up. I admit that as a kid then teen growing up I dreaded getting my hair cut because I didn’t like the crew cut thing and wanted my hair to not look like it had not been cut. So after our staycation I will have to find another place to do my hair, make a new friend and hopefully my hair will be the better for this change.