Changes

Is change good or bad? Does change just happen and we have to put up with it? My answers are both and yes. Without change there would be no news, no weather, no lawn mowers, or the need to have long and short sleeved shirts. It’s not a question of good or bad. That’s subjective. It’s the differences and diversity that gives color to our lives. We need change to live. Credit is given to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, for saying “change is the only constant in life”. When the birds and animals here in TW were so abundant just over a year ago, I appreciated that and should have known that change would happen.

Change just happens, all the time. Just look at your watch. It measures the change in time, or else it’s broken. What causes change? The answer is: time, energy, and matter. None of those things would exist without the others. The mass of the earth and air are in motion and have energy. Things in motion want to stay in motion and when they meet, change happens. Just ask Ian. It’s hard trying to describe these concepts. It hurts my head thinking about it. Back to reality.

Some changes we like, such as a new car, remodeling our home, or a new grandchild. Some we don’t like, like getting old. For the last year, we have been dealing with changes caused by Hurricane Ian. It changed a lot of things, and we didn’t like any of that. We’re trying to get back to normal in slow motion it seems. The hurricane caused so much damage over such a wide area and no one was exempt. When something bad happens to us those around us are ready to help in any way they can. This time, with everyone affected, it became hard to get, give, or find the help we needed. For some, this was too much, and moving away was the change they opted for.

Since change is inevitable, it’s a good thing that humans are uniquely adaptable. We prepare for it, even though plans always change. We have savings accounts, spare batteries, insurance policies, and friends. The last time I think of as “normal” was the fall of 2019. The year 2020 brought Covid and it continued in 2021. In the fall of 2022 Covid was nearly gone and our snowbirds returned with our smiles. We were ready for the TW Life we remembered. Then Ian took our smiles away. Now, again, we are trying to come out of hiding. It’s just like starting over. That was four years and I’ve only lived here six.

What’s up for this year? It may take effort to wake up the TW Life again. But we have the power of TW strong. Our revamped club house and tennis courts are back. The changes I look forward to now are good changes. Writing this was a change for me. This is the beginning of my second year writing here. I promise to write a nature topic next month with your help. Please send along any topic ideas to: Tangerinewoodsman@gmail.com.

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