"Expect Change"

January 7, 2011

Yesterday’s advice was “Don’t Expect it to Last”.

Today’s Bit of Advice is………

“Expect Change”

I’d say I was in an “expect”ing kind of mood this week but that would just get people spreading false rumors.  You can expect me to deny any comments of that nature!  LOL

I wasn’t sure what the theme of my advice today would be.  In fact, most days I don’t know what it will be until I sit down to write.  But, as I was driving to my church choir rehearsal, (some rare time all by myself without anyone to distract me) the word “change” came to me.  I realized my day today was filled with situations of change.  And I don’t like change.  Never have.  Probably never will.  But we have to expect change at all turns in life.  Assuming that life will remain constant is a recipe for disappointment.  If you expect change, you’ll never be wrong.

Our world is built on change. Our seasons change every three months.  We change our clocks twice a year. We decorate our homes for various holidays (and then undecorate them).  Children get new teachers every September.  Our bodies change with age.  Change is everywhere and inevitable.

But, for someone like me, change doesn’t always feel good.  I get comfortable with the way things are (right or wrong) and am happy to stay that way.  Going through the process of change, accepting new routines, and having to remember new details and procedures isn’t comfortable.  Over time I have learned to anticipate and prepare for change.  It is easier to make the adjustments when you set your mind to doing it in advance.

Today seemed to be a day of many changes, big and small.  I started my morning by listening to an audiobook (thanks Marc for the idea!).  Believe it or not, other than “Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake”, I have never listened to an audiobook.    I thought I would like this new and different  experience.   I was happy to give this change of format a try.  I thought  I would like this change.  What I found out was that I don’t concentrate very well on audiobooks because I was still trying to do too much else at the same time (like read the paper and pay bills).  And I didn’t really like hearing one person perform all of the different voices.  I did like being able to wash dishes and “read” a book at the same time using this format but, overall, I have to give audiobook listening two stars.  It isn’t going to replace regular books for me.  Change attempted – not a convert.

Went from the audiobook experience to making some appointments.  My hair needs a cut, the kids need physicals, I need an eye exam.  Called up the eye doctor to make the annual appointment and the receptionist told me I’d have to see a different doctor.  WHAT?  I don’t like to break in new doctors.  This guy was really good and I really liked him.  I asked her where he had gone (thinking I’d follow him to his new office).  She said, in a sad voice, “We don’t know where he has gone”.  Again, WHAT?  This type of change was unsettling to me.   I was worried about my doctor, about his sad staff, about my eyes, about who I would have to see now.  Too much change.   But that’s the way it is with doctors.  You just get used to one that you like and they move on, retire, die.  Expect change.

I’d been thinking about making a change to some responsibilities at my church.  The time commitment was greater than I’d like, some of the details related to the responsibilities had changed, and the general climate of my church has changed making the activities less pleasant than in the past.  As I was preparing myself to make some major adjustments, I received an email from a friend involved with the same activities.  She let me know that she and her family had made the decision to leave the parish and our shared activities for the same reasons and concerns I have had.  She and I have been involved together in this group for over five years and we’ve been parishioners together for more than fifteen years.  Church is an easy place to become complacent and forget to expect change.  Especially the Catholic Church where mass is based on the same format and responses every week.  I am so saddened to think that her family will not be at mass with us anymore.  I will continue to look for them every week and have to remember each Sunday that they have left.  Unfortunately, my church has become a place of late where change is constant and has been unsettling.

Then there was this fun one….. I had to attend the parent meeting to review materials for my son’s Physical Maturation Class that he’ll be attending in February.  Talk about Expecting Change!  We got to see the movies that the children will watch and hear details about the presentation.  While my son knows quite a bit about the physical changes of adolescence, I think some of the parents at the meeting were as embarrassed about the topic as their children will be!  Hopeful tonight’s overview will give them some idea of the changes they should be expecting soon.

So I was thinking about all this on my drive to choir rehearsal.  And a few other areas of change in my life related to our new NYS governor and the changes he’ll make in office, the changes I had to make while serving hot lunch today to accommodate a parent with a different working style than my own, the changes I need to make around the house to undecorate from Christmas, etc.  And change came to me as a theme to write about.  I finally made it to my choir rehearsal where the final change of the day was added to my list.  Our church organist of 25 years retired last week.  We have a new organist – he’s a lovely gentleman with good musical skills and will probably do a fine job in this position.  But it’s just not the same.

Expect change.  It happens every day.  You can try to ignore it.  You can try to stop it.  But the best thing to do is roll with it.  And maybe start a blog where you can complain about it too.

Hope you enjoyed the read.