Friday, August 17, 2007
Ch...ch...changes
Change is the only constant, so we must embrace it, or be swept away. It looks like Europe may be out next year, at least as part of any academic program. Because of my desire to expedite my graduation and get onto the business of grad school, I changed my major in Global Business to a minor in International Business. After looking at the course requirements for my new minor, I realized that every one of the business classes I have taken to date were not applicable, which means they would have become wasted time and money. That wasn't going to work, so the hunt for a new minor began. I landed on Management, since every one of the courses I had taken to date applied, which leaves with only two courses to fulfill my minor obligation. I'll knock out one course this term, and the final class in Spring I, which means next year will be almost entirely about art coursework.
As soon as that was settled, as if on cue, I received an email from Savannah College quashing any rumors that they might be establishing a presence in St Petersburg. That was something of a letdown, given that having SCAD establish a local campus would have been ideal. If this particular situation remains unchanged, I will be moving to Savannah for at least two years. Certainly a big change, since I have spent my entire life in the Oldsmar/Palm Harbor area, but Savannah is only 340 miles or so from home, which is roughly 5 hours on the road. Not a quick trip, but not a cross country trek, either. The change would do me some good, I know this, so I am not averse to making the move. Ironically, Scott, Laura, and the twins are moving back to Florida, while I am talking about moving away. Being away from family and friends would definitely be a hardship, but being within a few hundred miles makes things a bit more bearable. Honestly, I think they'd all be glad to see me in small doses anyway. :)
Change is the only constant and I am learning that embracing it, rather than resisting it, makes for a much more autonomous experience. By embracing change, we give ourselves the opportunity to steer and direct, even initiate, that change, rather than being relegated to roles as passengers of circumstance. When life offers up opportunity, we cannot let fear of change deter us from grabbing hold. All the cliches are true! lol And that's the beauty, when you stop and think about it. Cliches are true, otherwise there would be no cliches. Given that fact, life is actually a fairly predictable experience, particularly where people are concerned. We are all fairly predictable, even if we are somehow unstable, because being a known, unstable element is in itself a form of predictability. In this way, our personal stability can remain intact even as those around us see their stability crumble. So change is the only constant, which means that instability is stability. Realizing this, we are free to pursue our own stabilizination and consistency despite change. There is no viable reason to fear change, if we are not content to be victims. We are our own best guides and protectors.
A monumental change is on my horizon, but there isn't any reason to be troubled. Change brings with it an endless stream of possibility, whereas stagnation and sameness brings only limitations. In four years I will have gone from a man with limited formal education and what would could only be described as wasted potential, to a man with a Master's degree in a field I truly love, and a wide range of potentialities. If I can manage to keep things on course, it should be a rewarding journey. Even if everything comes crashing down and I somehow fail to make good, taking the chance sounds much better than doing what I have been, where I have been, for however long the run lasts. Eventually they will force me into early retirement or I will grow bitter and weary from work I have not enjoyed in a year or more. No good can come of that.
Labels: life
Read or Post a Comment
<< Home