“…But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say I’ve changed.
Something’s lost but something’s gained, in living every day…” ~ Joni Mitchell. (added emphasis)
As the decades roll along, and in the course of existence, many changes in one’s life are to be expected; graduating from high school, college, finding the first of many jobs, finding a significant other, eventually marrying, and then finding yourself in a perfect place.
But sometimes, that perfect place is not so perfect for others.
How apt, then, are Ms Mitchell’s words. They resonate for me, as I have witnessed first hand the desire of others for me to remain the same, living the life of long ago, not wanting that ‘change’ to happen.
“What happened to the ol’ Paul? Where’d he go? He doesn’t seem happy…”
But it does. Change does happen. If not, than stagnation and inertia take over, and one remains existing in the past, always prattling on about
“Hey, remember when….?”
I choose not to live in that realm. Christ, as over five decades have passed, I am looking forward to the next four or five decades.
Yeah, sure, there have been some fine moments in those previous iterations of being, but to relive that static Self at gatherings, be they friends or family, is nothing more than stifling to the soul. Better to immerse yourself in what is transpiring Now. The past is indeed just that—passed.
‘…they say I’ve changed.’ Yes, ‘tis true, and it is a wonder to live your life in the present, to seek new challenges, new goals, new beginnings, and relegate the proverbial old hat to the distant past. I am not against chatting about events of the past on occasion, but make it just that—on occasion. Not ad nauseum.
Perhaps a few of you out there know of what I speak and for you, Joni’s exquisite lyrics ring true as well. The past is gone, the future is not here, and what we have is the Now. Plunge your spirit in the Present and your soul will be thus soothed.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ~ Buddha.
Copyright, Paul Grignon, 2012, All Rights Reserved.
Paul Grignon 