It’s cliche, sure, but the truth of the matter is that the only constant in our lives is change.
That’s not only a hackneyed phrase, it’s also a widely hated phrase. Rarely do we enjoy change, not while it’s happening anyway. And certainly least of all when it’s happening directly to us. There are just too many uncertainties. That yearning for the comfort of the warm familiar traces back to our infant years when within mother’s embrace was where we always wanted to be.
Until one day it wasn’t.
As our mind grew and absorbed the world from the safest place we could be, we noticed there were lots of other intriguing objects out there. And if we wanted to engage with the interesting but unknown, we had to change who we were, to leave the ways of an infant and become a toddler. We had to let go of all that we knew. As we aged, we then learned that sometimes, very often, we didn’t have a choice in the matter. Change was beyond our control and simply a reality of growing bodies and brains and shifting circumstances.
I could make a strong argument — irrefutable, in fact — that change is the mechanism by which everything happens, including our decisions about which stories to tell here in ABOUT. Because while we all claim that we like things just the way they are, no one wants to read about a static condition. I mean, what’s the story if something is the way it’s always been?
True to the law of change that rules the universe, this issue features a couple of stories that revolve around transformation. One was caused by unpredictable chaos and one by thoughtful decision. One is the story of a downtown district literally rising from the ashes of destruction and one the story of an organization choosing to find ways to help more people.
Actually, everything in this issue (as it has been with every issue) is about something new and different than it was before. I invite you to read through and try to prove me wrong.
Of course, there is value in the tried and true, and we never stop longing for Mom’s hug. But as autumn’s festive leaves wither to brown and fall, we’re reminded by the Earth itself that everything is always in a constant state of flux. All we can do is enjoy this moment and look forward to the next.
