change

Sound of Silence

I’ve always been a talker. I love people and I love being around people. Now don’t get me wrong I like my alone time too, but my teachers didn’t call me jabber jaws when I was in elementary school for nothing. The teachers would write on my report cards ; “she is a great student but needs to stop talking”. I was reading an article the other day which explained that children who are left alone a lot tend to well, run at the mouth , so to say.

I definitely fit in that category. I always did all the talking for my introverted little brother. He liked listening to me and it always made him feel more secure when I did all the talking, or so he told me once. My little brother passed away 24 years ago but I’m still talking.

Now the problem with this is it’s nervous talking . Not necessarily good conversation. I have been practicing meditation to help me silence that inner child who needed to fill the awkward silence. When I was young silence was always scary, nothing good ever came from silent moments. The meditation helps, not a cure, but it helps, and that’s all I have to say – for a change.

“It’s a generational thing”

This past weekend I spent the day with my oldest daughter and a good friend of hers. In between shopping and while at lunch several topics were discussed. Jasmine ( the friend ) talked about how the industry she worked in was full of ” older men” who had a fear of technology and often that fear came out in very cranky phone conversations. It was interesting that she could recognize the reason for the cranky phone conversations. She went on to explain that my daughter and herself were part of an “in between generation”. She said that they weren’t Millennials, and they weren’t Baby Boomers but that they fell into a large group of people in which technology was growing at just as fast as they were as people. This group had cell phones in college- not grade school. They had just really gotten use to downloading music- not buying cd’s. 

Later in the day I stopped to think about the differences from my generation and the one before mine. The world changed quickly for my generation. I think my childhood and teen years were simple but I wasn’t really paying attention to the subtle changes until I became a parent. Electronics were everywhere and we fought to keep our children’s youth as simple as ours even with game systems, DVD players, and MP3 players. The “nuclear” family was changing from what we understood it to be just like the generation before me struggled with the idea of “single parent households”.

What I realized between the conversations is that EVERY generation has its struggles and learning curves to deal with. Some people view the change in society as a curse or not worth learning or adapt to. Some amaze me with their willingness to learn. I have a neighbor that is 82 years old and very efficient on her iPhone and iPad.

My daughter’s friend said she had heard I was selling online and wanted to see what I was selling. I showed her my online shops, my Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest , and of course this blog. When I was finished she ask me why people buy my crosses and I explained some of the reasons and how much I enjoyed sharing what I do with others. She looked at me confused and said, “I don’t get it , is this a generational thing”? I couldn’t help but to smile.

Change – it happens

I think one of the best things about being born and living your entire life in the same city is nothing really changes, not really. Yes new streets are paved and old ones torn out, buildings go up and are torn down, people move into the city and move out, but your memories in the city never change. I can drive down any street in my city and it will bring back a memory, some sad, some not. Change is hard for all of us to some degree or another. Most of us when we are young we see change but it doesn’t seem to bother us a lot. Now as we age we have a tendency to resent change. I’m sure you have heard others say, “ things were better in our time” or “things aren’t as good as they used to be” These statements are true of course, or maybe you just roll your eyes when you hear someone older than you express that sentiment. The loss of someone you love is heartbreaking and of course this brings change. Change you are never ready for , but still it comes- relentlessly. I have found this to be true , this time right now, this very moment is everyone’s moment. As long as you are alive this is your time.