The Tides of Change

Katie and Murray in my daughter's bedroom before she moved out.
I cried for days when the room changed and it was no longer her room.

I am not that great with change. Change can be scary and definitely not for the meek at heart, like me.

My daughter has a physical reaction to the change in temperature. The shifting of the seasons is always heralded with a rash on her legs. Doctors have tried to give her a textbook diagnosis over the years along with some soothing ointment, but her body simply reacts to a dramatic change in a thermometer reading. When temperatures settle down, so does my daughter.

Global warming, otherwise known as scientific evidence branded as a hoax by our President, means that winter could very well be an unseasonably hot one, or we could have a pile of snow to shovel before Halloween. Both have happened in recent years, Mr. President. I have to dress in clothing meant for all four seasons in one outfit so I can strip down if it gets too hot or bundle into another sweater when I get cold. I refuse to blame it on my "changes." I'm done with that, thank heavens. Mother Earth is now going through her changes and the man we put in charge withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement with as much lack of concern as he does for all for women, even for the one that gives him a home. My daughter has a powerful voice when it comes to women's rights and she empathizes with the tears of Mother Earth by suffering the consequences of a climate change all season long and not just on the equinox.

I apologize for that rant, but my reaction to change is not so much a physical thing, it is a mental attack. I fight my way through every level of change, even if it means I'm going in a good direction. Every time my computer software changes to a new version, I scream at the monitor. Every time my phone updates, I scream at the phone. I was once a fan of technology. Now I just feel old and it's getting harder to keep up with the change.

Teachers at my school facing another change in the schedule

I am one of those people who waits until a trend has been popular for at least two years before buying the newest style of anything. I like to shop for classics, just like those mom jeans I wore before I was a mom and now I can proudly wear again. At least, I think they are back in style.

In my art class, I used to introduce abstract art to my 3rd graders with a story about a hat. I would pick a volunteer (someone who enjoyed playing the clown) and told the class to imagine there was a big, ugly hat on his or her head. The hat was a hideous color and had pockets all over the top. The giggles aimed at my brave model told me what I already knew, that even kids are afraid to accept a new trend if it means being the source of embarrassment. I explained that my model could come to school without carrying a backpack. There was room for a water bottle in her hat, textbooks, a binder, cute pockets for pens, and hooks for keychains that made them look like cool earrings. I would say that my model wore her hat proudly to school for days and finally her best friend asked her mom to find out where she could get one too. Eventually, backpacks became a thing of the past and Ranney School designed their own big hat in blue and white with the school logo on the front.

Who would want to hang a Jackson Pollock over their couch when the Mona Lisa is what art means to the world? It took years for abstract art to become accepted as real art and for museums to display the modern pieces in their galleries. I also transition slowly. I resist the tides of change, even in something I identify with, such as art. I like to watch the spread of acceptance before it becomes okay for me to follow. I know that about me.

The problem is, Mother Earth does not have much time. We are destroying our forests, our wildlife, and the fragile balance that exists between species. The year can no longer be defined as having just four seasons and entire cities are being wiped out with powerful storms. The world is changing whether we are prepared to accept that as fact or not. Do you think the President is happy when his apps update and he can't tweet the same way he did the day before?

Maybe change can be a good thing.