Changes

Originally published January 31, 2020

Change.  I'm not talking about coins.  I'm talking about a difference in your life.  Some people like change, others hate it.  I'm more towards the hate it.  I am a creature of habit and routine, and I like going to the same job year after year, having the same friends, living in the same place.  Although that hasn't always been the case.

Last year I got this new job.  That was a big change for me.  It was my first new job in over a decade.  Crazy, right?  But after ten years, it was time to move on.  I stayed at my previous job for ten years because I just didn't want to change it, and for the majority of the time there, I didn't have a reason to.

Changes happen in my personal life all the time, too.  One of my best friends moved away to Spokane last year, and I have not seen him since last April, although we chat on occasion.  I worked with him at my retail job, and I got used to seeing him on an almost daily basis.  He has talked about moving back, but nothing has been set in stone yet.

One odd thing I thought I'd point out: The places I spent most of my adolescence have all been torn down and rebuilt with something else.  My elementary school, junior high school, and high school all went through those massive renovations.  My childhood home until I was 10 got torn down and rebuilt into a larger home.  I guess it's only a matter of time before my other childhood home gets torn down, which my parents moved out of last August, and they moved a bit further away from me.  That was a home I spent about 15 years of my life in.  I guess that's just how life goes.  You could ask anyone up that's up in years what happened to the schools they went to and their childhood home(s), and chances are they'd say they a majority of them (if not all) are no longer standing.

After my friend and parents moved last year, it will be my turn to move this coming year.  Our apartment lease expires at the beginning of April.  We will not be able to renew our lease again, because our lease management is completely renovating every single apartment unit.  We could move to an already renovated unit, but if we're moving, might as well go somewhere a bit more affordable.  I won't get into the details, but we're also not a huge fan of a lot of the changes they've made to the complex and how they still haven't changed other things.  

So last year, a new job, and this coming year a new place to live.  Honestly, I don't hate changes, I just really like routine and habit and feeling comfortable in my day-to-day life.  Changes can also be some of the most stressful times in our lives.  I try to reduce the amount of stress in my life as much as possible; hence why I try to avoid change.  But change is often inevitable, and it's better to roll with the tide than to try to go against it.

If I want to continue this trend of major changes happening in consecutive years, next year I might get a new car.  I've had my current car for almost 9 years now.  It's served me well, but I am ready for something different.  I'd like to own a truck or SUV, even if that means parking gets tougher to do.  I'd just like to have the ability to move furniture for myself or others if need be.  I'd also like to be able to comfortably drive in the snow when we get that in the winter.  Heck, I might not even wait until next year.  Time will tell.

Life is about changes.  No one person in western civilization has the same exact routine their entire life.  People get new jobs, cars, homes, friends, and partners all the time.  I really only enjoy change once the thing you've gotten used to has become monotonous or your current lifestyle requires an upgrade.  Change can be stressful, but it can also be fun.  It's a topic of conversation with anyone in your life, from friends, family and co-workers to even making small talk with people you barely know.  If you never go through change, there's not really much to talk about in regards to your life.