FROM THE EDITOR
Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said that “the only constant is change”. And based on the course of human history, the man couldn’t have been closer to the truth. That being said, while I accept that change is inevitable, it doesn’t mean that I have to like it, or indeed welcome it with open arms. At best, I usher it in with a stamping foot and a petulant sulk, and at worst, kicking and screaming all the way!
Perhaps this has something to do with having an extremely stable childhood, where predictable sunny day followed predictable sunny day. I went to the same primary school and then the same high school for all of my schooling life. My parents moved house once when I was too young to remember the upheaval, and then again when I was eight and the prospect of a swimming pool was enough to soothe any possible anxiety. My parents remained in that house for the next 20 odd years, and when they eventually downsized a few years ago, it was met with quite a lot of sadness – most noticeably from me.
Unsurprisingly, I have an unmistakeable need to “nest” wherever I happen to be, and am adept at making my home my sanctuary within weeks of moving in. The parting of ways with one particular sanctuary is always traumatic but I also know that soon the new nest will be complete, and I will learn to love the new route to work and the new closest supermarket. And then – eventually – I will admit that all the hard work was worth it and that the change was actually a good thing.
Most of us resist change with every fibre of our beings, but when we finally give in to it, often hindsight grudgingly acknowledges it as a good thing. Change tests our limits, teaches us new things, adds interest to our lives and keeps us on our toes.
That is a lot to be grateful for. So maybe next time I will try harder to be more open to change, not just at the end, but at the beginning too. I doubt I will ever be able to put out the proverbial welcome mat for it, but next time, I might just leave the front door unlocked – and perhaps even slightly ajar. Maybe you should consider doing the same.
Safe travels,
Nicky Furniss Editor