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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

Life IS change. Too often people attempt to resist change, a futile endeavour, at best.

Life IS change.

Too often people attempt to resist change, a futile endeavour, at best.

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will be familiar with the motto of the Borg, an organic-technological hybrid species, who roam the galaxy seeking to assimilate the technology of other races into their collective: "Resistance is futile."

We may occasionally delay change, sometimes to the point of anachronism. I know people who still have rotary-dial telephones -- or at least, they did a few years ago, and Bell still lists rotary-dial numbers for its various features (ie: call forwarding).

The landscape changes, sometimes almost imperceptibly, other times drastically and quickly. Fields and forests I played in as a child are now subdivisions. What was once farmland is endless rows of glass-panelled solar energy collectors.

Traffic patterns have changed, new roadways are constructed and others widened or extended.

New shopping and business areas -- and a new hospital -- have been built.

New recreational features have been constructed, with others in the planning stages.

Technology has certainly changed, not only in and of itself but in the convenience and opportunities it provides for us.

And, whether we like to admit it or not, we, personally, have changed over the years.

We cannot forestall ageing, although some people spend a good portion of their disposable income deluding themselves into believing they have.

Even our way of thinking changes, sometimes subtly, sometimes more so. Seldom do we view our lives, our surroundings, and our society in the same way that we did a decade -- or two, or more -- ago.

And yet, there remains such a resistance to change.

How often have you uttered those dreaded words, the ones you promised you would never say: "I remember when…"?

It's easy to harken back to days of yore, when life was much simpler, and we didn't have all the problems we have now. Or did we?

As children, our parents looked after our every need -- clothes, food, shelter. We went to school, played in the park, and argued about what our bedtimes should be.

As teens, even if we did get summer jobs, our parents looked after our every need -- clothes, food, shelter. We went to school, hung out at the mall, and argued about what our curfew should be.

As adults, our lives changed, and we become responsible for our own needs. We worked, paid bills, and argued over which political party was the worst (or the best).

We often believe that times were simpler, and life was easier, back when "we were younger." But I'm not convinced that life really was all that much better. For all the complaints I hear, for all the problems we face, life today -- at least, here in Canada, here in the Sault -- really isn't all that rough for most of us.

Yes, the Paper Mill has closed. The Steel Plant is not what it once was. Many people are working at "McJobs" -- often two or three part-time, minimum- or near-minimum wage jobs.

Home ownership is becoming beyond the reach of many in our society.

While mandatory retirement has been abolished, many are wondering how long they will have to work to pay off all of their debts. Still others have had to change jobs so often that they do not expect to ever receive a pension.

Life is change.

Some of the changes have caused us considerable inconvenience, especially for those reluctant to accept change.

Again, I do not believe that we can say that we are not better off than our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.

Sometimes I believe that our collective memories are too short, that when we do look back it is only to specific periods. We look back to the 1980s, for example, when, despite rather high interest rates, many more people were buying houses -- new, larger houses -- than ever before.

We forget about the housing crash of the early 90s.

Sometimes we think back to family vacations that we cannot afford ourselves, today.

We forget, or perhaps are unaware, of how much our parents scrimped and saved, and sacrificed, to be able to afford that vacation.

We remind ourselves that our fathers and grandfathers worked at the same job for 30 or 40years.

Did we ever ask them if they liked their jobs? Or were they going to work day after day, year after year, because they had a family to support, whether they liked that job or not.

Life is change.

Life is also about choice, and we now have more choices than ever.

Time was when if your grandfather worked somewhere -- paper mill, steel plant, mine, forestry -- that's where your father would work, and where you were expected to work, too.

In Québec, students are protesting what is really a rather small increase in tuition fees.

Time was when attending university just wasn't a choice at all for most young people.

Change is rarely a bad thing. It may be inconvenient, and many will certainly resist change. But change will happen.

What we can do is accept the fact that change will occur, and rather than resist it, complaining and griping and harkening back to an idyllic time that may only exist in our memories, we can put some effort into making that change work for the best.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
- Ghandi

Life IS change.

But… that's just my opinion.
 


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