Changes

There is an old adage that goes this way: "The only people who like change are wet babies." True as that may be, I believe all of us welcome change to some degree. Permit me to explain: those of us who happen to be driving an older car with high mileage would welcome the chance to drive a newer car with lower mileage. Those of us who shelved dreams as we became adults (art, travel, music, sports, drama) might give a lot to recapture some of those pursuits in earnest now. For some of us, a change, a permanent change, from the jobs (and the pay) that mark our lives as moderately, but not wildly, successful, would be a pleasant surprise. And then there are some of us who would embrace a change of the most basic sort: a new body -- one that's not fallen prey to overeating, under-exercising, and the deceptive lure of the television set.

I make the case it is not change we rebel against; rather, it is the way change occurs. A change thrust upon us without any input is bound to generate some real pushback. Just think back to when you determined your child's bedtime. You dictated to him or her that 8 p.m. was bedtime, and there was likely zero discussion. Your child resisted because they had no input. They resisted, but they lost.

A change in something seen as traditional will probably meet resistance too. Just think about the reception you'd receive if, instead of the time-honored Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings, your family would sate their howling appetites with grilled hot dogs and beans. The family may like grilled hot dogs and beans, but you changed a tradition that was important to the family, and that was a no-no.

Men, we face changes in our lives every day. Our children grow. Our job duties fluctuate. Our health declines. Our buddies die. The man who can deal with life's changes in a reasonable way will have a considerable advantage over the man who can't.

When I think of it, I may not have wanted my young son to leave that August day for first grade; I may not have wanted my daughter to spend the night away from home on her first sleepover, but looking back, there really is no other way for life to move forward. It's called change and because of it we're the family we are today.

Maybe here, once again, we can learn something from our ancient brethren across the pond, the Greeks. It was Heraclitus who is said to have said, "Nothing endures but change."

So as you can see, it's all good. Just be sure to enjoy it while you can, tomorrow it may change.