The good old days of 'handshake deals'
OPINION: Catch phrases or statements often have a way of sticking with you. Here’s one I heard many years back: “Change is the only constant in life.”
At that time in my life, everything was very settled, with no apparent blips on the radar warning about ‘weather’ that may be up ahead. Our children were all much younger and at home with us, and everyone in the wider family seemed to be in good health. Added to that, we had great work fulfillment and security. There really were no dramas, and every day, every week, was pretty much the same. Great years for sure!
Here I am today, probably all of three decades later, and now I have a real appreciation for those seven simple words that quite escaped me back then!
Yep, life is full of changes, with many of them happening whether we are aware of them or not. Most don’t exactly sneak up on us either. At times, we play ‘pretend they’re not there’!
We live in a country with four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Personally, I like it that way. Each season has plusses and minuses, but you can adjust to them and enjoy the changes that each one brings. You can easily sense the seasonal changes coming after you’ve lived through a few! “Spring is in the air” is a saying I’ve heard and said myself many times over the years.
We cannot stop the seasons and the changes that come with them; the wisest thing we can do is adapt to them. So… get some firewood lined up, winter is surely on its way!
Obviously, some changes are warmly welcomed while others are quite the hated thing. I think it’s the close-up and personal changes that you can’t avoid that people struggle with the most. Stuff that’s forced on us by others is never easy either. Like those of us in the farming sector have to cope with when officials (often unelected) attempt to shove their ‘clever’ and often clueless ideas down our throats!
Mother Nature and Father Time working together will always ensure changes occur too. Changes to our bodies as we age come to mind here. Not always easy, I must admit.
What’s the deal then? Life is lived in seasons. And you have already come through a bunch. Your baby season, your toddler season, on through the childhood one, then the teenager, or should I say, your ‘teenangel’ season.
You survived! The schooling season will change to the left-school one. The single life, the married life, and then the first baby arrives – it’s no longer just the two of you. It’s now a whole new season at your place.
Yes, you have already successfully lived through many seasons, and here you are today reading this column! I don’t know exactly what’s happening in your world, but I do know this much – change is on its way!
Those of us with ‘miles on the clock’, or decades of seasons now behind us, can bring sage advice to the table to help you find your way through what can be murky times. My 50 cents worth of advice is to make the very most of each season. Enjoy it, make the most of each day and live life to the full. And get prepped, even just a little, for the next one.
As I look back over the many changes and seasons I’ve lived through, it’s been a real strength for me to have a sure anchor that holds – even through the worst of weather.
Take care and God Bless.
To contact Colin Miller email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
