Why Change?

I'm old. There's no getting around it. I'm coming up on my seventy-sixth birthday. (No presents, please.) It got here a lot faster than I expected. As the body ages and things start falling loose or shrivel up or just operate in an erratic manner, the smart thing to do is adjust. To adjust one must make changes.

When you're old you don't like change. You hate to leave your comfort zone. Then you realize that your comfort zone is no longer comfortable. So you make the dreaded changes. 

Some give up. They spend their days sitting in their most comfy chair frying their brains on the rude and crude that makes up daytime TV. I feel bad for those folks. Their brain has died and they are just waiting for their bodies to catch up.

During my working life I had to use what passes for my brain. It was good enough to get me by and support my family. During off hours I tried to give my body equal time. I liked sports and took part in a lot of them from time to time. The only sports that I stayed with through my life were fishing and shooting.

When I could no longer play tennis or golf or do centuries on my bicycle, fishing and shooting were always there for me. But I can no longer wade trout streams or clamber over the rocks that line the edges of Narragansett Bay. My knees and back have convinced me that I can no longer police my brass at the target range.

Once again I had to adjust to the demands of time, the Ruler of All Our Plans. So, just over two years ago, I had a conversation with myself about what would be next on my calender. When I had a real job, there were times when I had to do some writing. From business letters to training courses. I always enjoyed putting words together to try to inform and, hopefully, entertain at the same time.

I had been using computers since they first arrived on the scene as affordable to the individual. I knew about blogging when it first appeared but I didn't pay it much heed. I thought it worth looking at. Of the ones that I checked out, most were pretty poor. So since I felt I couldn't do much worse, I started blogging.

I cannot tell you how happy I am with my choice. My readership keeps going up. I have been read in ninety-five countries. I find that really gratifying. I get few derogatory comments. And I have had some, over the top, complimentary comments. I have never done anything that I have enjoyed more. OK, one thing. But we aren't going there. So, there's the answer. Why change? Because you might find it is the greatest thing you have ever done.