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If You Don’t Like Change — You’re on the Wrong Planet
The quote in the post’s title is that of the great Ricochet pontificator – The Archdork Trink. Moi.
Chopping away at the green mat of chickweed under the Norway Spruce yesterday – my trowel clicked and nudged at the smallish, stubborn rocks that the glaciers left behind when they receded ten thousand years ago. That’s just a blink of time in the vast changing geological record of this old planet.
Ten thousand years ago, we were under one mile of ice. Four months ago, it was winter — now it’s Spring. Change.
Life is change. You already knew that, I know, but I’ve only recently — truly — accepted it. From the profound: Bill O’Reilly getting canned (kidding about the profundity), to the prosaic: noticing another gray hair.
It’s no lighthearted notion that wisdom comes with age. Tell you what: turning 70 dispels any myths about out-pacing time’s swift chariot. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen.
Changes such as: Favorite stores closing, losing friendships over politics, some of the daffodils didn’t come up this year, the view from our cemetery plots has deteriorated, my pants are tight, NASA hasn’t put a man into space in 2,092 days — this is the longest gap in human launches from US soil. I was a girl during those glory days of Shepard and Glenn.
Changes used to rile me a lot more than they do now. So, when a co-conversationalist starts to mourn a middlin’ sort of change that’s disrupted their comfort level with the loss of some sense of the “status quo” — I patiently shake my head, point to Spring’s ephemeral momentum, its moment-to-moment changes — and remind them: If you don’t like change — you’re on the wrong planet.
Now, back to the chickweed, whose seeds, I just learned, may lie dormant for 40 years!
Published in Group Writing
What a beautiful spring yard!
I think getting older is just like walking up a mountain: the view just keeps getting better. :)
What a beautiful post to go with a beautiful picture. I think I will bookmark it and refer to it from time to time. I may need to share it with some co-workers. Change can be lovely.
I’m finding that noticing gray hairs is better than the alternative: noticing no hairs.
Beautiful work, Trink.
…AND….. the air keeps getting thinner.
By the way, Trink found yet another grey hair And her computer died. We are on our way to Best Buy to save the day. More damned changes…
Change is one of my favorite topics, Trink. I used to teach people how to adjust to changes in their lives, but teaching can be easier than doing. I find that change is less surprising, because I try to notice it everyday, rather than be surprised by its sudden arrival (although I’m not always successful). So I’ll see a new bud on an orchid, or that the pond water level is low, or that the birds are showing up less often, or . . . well, you know. Change is constantly teaching us that everything, I mean EVERYTHING, is impermanent–even the chairs we’re sitting on or the houses we live in. Everything dies. But that means that something new has the space to emerge and delight and engage us. Dying is followed by something being born. It’s all quite beautiful. Thanks, again, for your beautiful post, Ms. Archdork!
Speaking of change and gardening… does grass grow overnight? This is a serious biological question. Does anyone know?
And, if it doesn’t put on length when we’re not watching — how the heck does it add half an inch without us noticing??
But but but I’m a Conservative! I hate change! Unless it’s us winning a presidential election. Great post and photo.
Thanks for a beautiful spin on something I struggle with. Change is hard for me, but you’re right, I better get used to it. (Except for changing Ghostbusters to an all-female cast. That change I will never accept.)
This post is part of our Quote of the Day series. The signup sheet and schedule for April is here:
http://ricochet.com/419286/quote-of-the-day-signup-and-schedule-for-april-2017/
Don’t worry if you missed April, because May will be a new opportunity to dazzle us. Watch the Member Feed for that!
Trink, again you amaze me with your spirit of goodness and light. Without those qualities, you would never see the beautiful yard (which is truly gorgeous) and the need for change.
We call morphing situations we don’t like change. Those we like we call improvement.
Thanks for improving my day.
Also, I think you get to add another title, Sis — Ricochet Poet Laureate.
Think I’ll come join you in one of those chairs.
@marcin, @blondie, @jl,@rightangles,@paulalynnjohnson,@aumom,@westernchauvinist,@susanquinn, @gumbymark . . .
You dear people. This old heart is feeling so happily affirmed. Thank you. thank you. @thekd45 commented above that shortly after I hit “Publish” – my computer died. We’re just back from a trip to Wooster Ohio – 30 miles away to replace . . .. Drum Roll . . . . . .!!!!!
MY POWER CORD THAT STARTED THROWING SPARKS LAST NIGHT!!!!!!
Perhaps they weren’t sparks but rather fireworks out of pure joy for the eloquence that it was witnessing as I finished this post. Bwahaahahahaha!!! But if I hadn’t been alert and lept to pull the plug . . . those “fireworks” would certainly have ignited the couch.
Wooooooeeeeeee!!!
Susan! Your approach to change is precisely what I strain to achieve! And your excerpted comment was too close to the truth last evening! :)
MY POWER CORD THAT STARTED THROWING SPARKS LAST NIGHT!!!!!!
Perhaps they weren’t sparks but rather fireworks out of pure joy for the eloquence that it was witnessing as I finished this post. Bwahaahahahaha!!! But if I hadn’t been alert and leapt to pull the plug . . . those “fireworks” would certainly have ignited the couch.
Gorgeous view – and wise words, @trink! Ecclesiastes comes to mind…Kudos for the fast reflexes! Happy shopping!
Sweet Sis. I don’t know about that Poet Laureate business, but I do know what a blessing you are to my life.
Thank you :)
Trink,
Thank you for the beautiful picture and salient thoughts. The picture makes me homesick for E. Tennessee where I grew up. As the time of retirement approaches, I find myself longing for the “change” to return to those hills. Soon, I hope.
Yes, Trink. Take WC’s suggested title, because I’m going to have to fight you for the title of Archdork.
Editors, you read that right. She doesn’t mind changes. Hack away!
Yes, the eds should embiggen the picture!
Your post had me exhaling a big, satisfying sigh. Thank you.
If I remember correctly, George Carlin used to do a rift on the need for there to be a phrase that was the opposite of deja vue. He suggested that it was far more common to be in a situation where instead of thinking “I’ve been here before” to be in a situation where you have an equal sense of incomprehensible wonder and think ” Wow, I’ve never been here before.” Whatever the term or word for that experience, I sense it far more often than the traditional deja vue and that has someting to do with my love of change. I don’t like the ravages of time upon my physique but I take great pride in being clueless about most societal change while enjoying the glorious chaos.
You, dear Pessimist, have perhaps found the formula for true contentment.
It’s pas encore vue. I just made that up.
Sacre bleu!
Didn’t Carlin coin “vuja de” for “this has never happened before!”?
It’s deja vu all over again.
Yikes – so new computer = good change! Beautiful photo – beautiful poem – beautiful person – we are lucky here at Ricochet!
I think that part of the resistance to change is that just when we get comfortable with what we know, we don’t know it anymore.