Embrace Change

My granddaughter, Jordan, decided to stuff her littte brother into a box and mail him far away. Cole doesn't look too upset by it. How they've changed in the last few years. They've both grown from infants to toddlers to school kids. And they'll keep right on changing, too.

We expect and welcome change in our children and grandchildren. It's delightful to see them move from stage to stage, to see what physical and emotional changes come about. So, why is it so hard for us to face other changes in life?

We tend to resist other kinds of change. When computers landed and young people learned to use them, older people shied away. Comments I heard in those early days and even later included I don't need that. I have enough in my life. I have no interest in computers. I'm too old to learn something new. I want no part of that world. 

As for me, I knew that if I wanted to compete in the writing world, I'd have to learn to use a computer. And I did! I learned by trial and error. I must admit the darned thing terrified me in the beginning. I was so afraid I'd hit the wrong thing and ruin everything, but then I learned that it's OK, you can usuallly retrieve what you lost or move on without major damage. I listened to others who had been usuing a computer longer than I, and I read the techie columns in the newspaper. Little by little, I acquired more information and expertise. And I found I loved the internet. It took me all over the world while I sat at home in my jammies. It made sending my work to editors a breeze.

That all seems so long ago. I'm on my third computer and I've seen a lot of other changes in my writing world, as well. At one time, self-publishing was frowned upon. It was a last resort for writers who had pedaled a manuscript to multiple houses and had no luck. But all that has changed. This is definitely a change for the better. Epublishing is hot right now. Some argue that quality may be lost if anyone and everyone can publish their work themself, but I think epublishing is here to stay. I've only touched the surface of how to do it, but I hope to start looking into it more seriously soon.

Cellphones have changed, too. Look at all you can do with one now. Yes, you do have to learn how to do specific tasks, but if twenty-somethings can do it, I guarantee that you can, too. Might take a bit longer, but you CAN learn. 

Accepting change and learning new ways depends on one thing. Attitude! Have the right kind and you'll move along with this twenty-first century. Have a poor attitude, and you'll be stuck in the twentieth century. Embrace changes--they'll help you grow, no matter how old you are.