Like the person you are, no matter how you change
Published: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, August 26, 2013 at 2:06 p.m.
As a new school year begins we are reminded about the process of change and why young people need to know the process is constant.
We're guessing that most students would rather have extended the starting date a few weeks, and most teachers, too. Isn't that the case every year? Some things never change.
Like that verse in Ecclesiastes states, there is a time and season for everything,
While there is a grand attempt to create grade school curriculum that is all inclusive, some things that young people need to learn just can't be found in a textbook.
There is a general belief, we think, that humans change during three basic stages. That is, there is childhood, teenage years and then when someone turns 21 adulthood. It is important to know that change doesn't stop there. We are not alluding to physical change. As we age, that becomes an all too obvious aspect.
The most important part of change is how we become different people emotionally and cognitively through the years. Some of this can be lumped into the process of maturity, but that's only a brief part of the process.
In this age of constant advancements in technology that is changing the way we work, learn and communicate, some aspects of our lives are altered from week to week. We are probably changing at a faster pace today than ever before.
We continue to change in terms of who we are throughout our lives. One reason for this, of course, is that our priorities change. What was important to us, say, five years ago may not be very important to us today. And then, we look back and wonder why it was important to us at that time.
You have likely heard someone remark that their grandfather or father has really mellowed out over the years. We seldom think that mellowing has more to do with changing and less to do with aging. They've likely figured out ways to create less stress in their lives.
Young people need to know that it is natural for them to feel awkward at various stages of their teen years. It is natural for them to feel insecure. It is natural for them to wonder why their best friend grew six inches over the summer while they remained the same height. They also need to realize this will not always be important to them.
And they always need to like who they are, no matter how old they are.
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