Changes

In my sober moments I tend to become more reflective and serious about how my life is going. I guess it is bound to happen when one is met with the reality of having to face midlife changes. It suddenly dawned on me that I have spent the last twenty years of my life as a religious. So many changes have happened in my life. The dreams and aspirations that have become part of me during my younger years no longer matter. Even the way I view the world now is different the way I used to. Changes. Changes.

Somebody I knew used to say that change is the only permanent thing in this world. Everything, everybody changes except change. We have to understand this change because it serves as a sign for us and – without this sign, we will get lost.

Whenever I go for vacation in my home province, I could not shake the feelings of nostalgia especially when I see some changes that have taken place since the last time I was around. The rivers where we used to swim when we were still children are no longer there. They have long since dried up. The bamboo trees that used to grow in abundance and whose flexibility to the caress of the gentle breeze has always fascinated me are already nonexistent. The farmlands have been transformed into processing zones and subdivisions. So many changes have taken place, and since I was not around when those happened, I feel somewhat lost.

I used to hear from friends and even relatives who are pleased with the (good) things that I have done in my life remark: “I hope you will not change.” In other words, they mean, “I hope you will remain as you are.” Ugh! You mean stagnant? Static? Oh no! I have always argued that a person has to change in order to grow. Of course, I know their wish meant that I would remain as good a person I am at the moment and not change for the bad. “I hope you will grow and grow to be better” sounds good to my ears instead.

Truth is, change will always come, whether for the good or the bad. We are living in a world that is continuously evolving. Everything in it (people, environment and technology) changes as the world changes. It is up to us to give our positive share in order to contribute for a better change in our world.