The theory of change....Part One

"Look at you, you've never changed, still the same as ever", that's what my friends from school tell me whenever we gather. I really feel confused when they tell me such a comment. I am not sure if this is considered a compliment so I should reply "Thanks a lot, you too haven't changed", or this is something bad and I should feel offended. Most of the time I just smile in response, without saying a single word.

I then started to think if it is possible that I did not change a bit for the past ten years. I don't think this is true, just finishing High School, going to college and starting a career is considered a change for me. These transitions in my occupation were certainly accompanied by changes in my looks, personality and beliefs. It is definitley impossible that for ten years I meet new people, learn new things and have lots of different experiences and still act like the teenager my friends used to know.

Despite what my friends believe, I am sure deep inside me that I can't be "the same as ever". I have been through lots of experiences that I was never familiar with; I've experienced how failure tasted like and how to struggle and bounce back. I have also experienced how is it like acting on my own without any interference from my parents. I've also made so many friendships that added a lot to my knowledge, personal experience and to my life as a whole.

I realized that whenever I gather with my old friends we usually have the same old talks. We often talk about fashion, food, guys, love and of course tons of memories. We also tell all sorts of jokes but none of us talk about our work, colleagues or anything about our current lives. I realized that when we reunion, we enjoy the fact that we are together again. We love remembering the old days a lot.

I think gathering with old friends is like taking a ride on the time machine where we move backward to a point of time that we all enjoyed. Then we all talk, laugh and act as if we were still this old gang and as if nothing has ever changed. I guess this is what makes my friends think that I am "the same as ever". I then tried to figure out what I think of my old friends, and to my surprise I realized that I feel that they are all "the same as ever" too!!!