The SaddleBrooke Ranch Writing Guild is a group dedicated to improving our writing skills. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month in the La Vista Room at the La Hacienda Club from 1 to 3 p.m. If you have any questions about the club, please contact Joy Hellard at [email protected].
Change
By Nancy Ferris
The word “change” is grossly over-used in the English language compared to similar words like alter or vary. Alter is seldom used alone but rather with combinations such as alter ego, altercation, alternating current, and alternate player, to name a few. Not interchangeable with our common use of change. The word “vary” also means to change or alter, but seems vague compared to the dominant word change.
Let it be clear. Change is an action word as you will see from these examples:
Women take control and multitask with a lot of issues piled on at once. We change diapers, change clothes, change bedding, change décor, change reservations, change jobs, change houses and vehicles. We even change husbands. We go through change of life (menopause), change our bodies with surgery, change religion, political parties, friends, and our view on everything. We can change on a dime!
Now let us change the subject to things we cannot control, that make us worry, sweat, and grieve:
We cannot control time or weather, called (climate change). We cannot change life back from death or have a do-over for past regrets and mistakes. We cannot change another person’s heart or mind but we can change our view. Why are we so ready to change others before ourselves? Fear of change is a human trait. Because it is much easier to change the subject and skate around the problem than face fear of rejection from others or failure from trying to please everybody else.
What will happen if we decide to have a change of pace and clear our minds?
Enlightenment, clarity, and peace lead to wisdom, understanding, and the freedom to choose a change best suited for us. Then we can cease holding our breath and exhale with a smile knowing that others have the same choice for themselves. That euphoric feeling is respect for ourselves, when fear is banished by having the courage to change.