#136: Change

Proverbs, old adages, and clichés are really notes from the past to remind us that, really, there is nothing new under the sun, or at least on this man's earthly realm. Well technically, cliché doesn't fit this definition, but sometimes adages get used so much that they become clichés.

A proverbial saying that I think of frequently and most particularly when discussing promises of politicians is; "The more things change, the more they stay the same." For the prompt today I'd like to approach change from this perspective; "Without change, nothing can stay the same."If not enigmatic, these phrases are in the least paradoxical or oxymoronic.

To illustrate my take on politicians I'll show you a comic strip from todays newspaper, by Guy & Brad Gilchrist: Nancy.
Knowing what the electorate wants to hear and promising it to them is a political ruse from the beginning of time. We all know it and actually we really don't care. We want to hear what we want to hear.

Another illustration referring to change goes along the lines of pigs wearing lipstick. (I actually could not recall ever hearing that phrase before but facts show that it is quite a common cliche...who'd-a-guessed?)
No matter how you "change" it, a dollar is a dollar.

Despite the fact that we and our world are constantly changing, we frequently resist change. We get in a comfort zone, or a discomfort zone (think abuse here); a mental feeling that the evil we know is better than the evil we don't.

Lets start at the beginning. A little spermy or scads of little spermies leave home to court any available eggster they encounter in the tubes of Fillop. Often one of those little devils is strong enough, and persistent enough to break down sweeties defenses and slips into oblivion. Ah, the trill of victory...but never again to be a spermy, forever changed; an entirely new entity. Does it end there? No, of course not. This new entity begins to slide down that slippery slope of change at break neck speed. Changing drastically moment to moment, day to day, and month to month.
After 36 weeks or so this new entity, resembling not it's two beginning parts is floating around in the comfortably warm swimming pool, all it's needs are being met. It's kind of a hedonistic existence don't you think? Then all of a sudden like a lightening bolt from the sky everything changes; all the water drains out of the pool, your home intermittently squeezes the maconium out of you and your head is pushed into a, too small for comfort, corridor, and there's nothing you can do about it. Then swoooosh, your expelled into a totally new world and the light is blinding and, holy crap man, it's incredibly cold, and man, this is totally no fun I want to go back. How do I let someone know I want to go back, that this change is unacceptable. Yell!!! Yeah,that's it I'll scream 'til they put me back. Sorry Charlie, welcome to the world, welcome to a lifetime of change.

Bear with me here for a moment. Think of each individual piece of existence on or in the universe as it's own cubicle and unlike this poor illustration, each cubicle connects to each of the other cubicles. Say One cubicle is for trees, one for elephants, another for fish, ferns, insects, honey bees, and on and on and on. That's pretty easy, yes? Ok, the interdependence lecture is set for Friday at 2pm in Maxy Hall. Today I'm only discussing the cubicle that holds humanity. Ok? Good.

Humanity in relation to the aphorism, "without change, nothing can stay the same."

The above description of the reproductive process of the human being is not a new development. It's been going on for as long as I can remember, even longer than that, I'd dare say. So I think it's safe to say that we are in the midst of a long standing process by which humans have been populating the planet. So from conception to the first external bowel movement involves a great many changes, and yet for all intents and purposes we remain unchanged as a species specimen. Agreed? Yes, I see you hand. What's your question? Genetic adaptation, longer healthier lifespans?, yes, yes these are good points and we will be touching on those elements in greater detail next semester, and while important, not particularly salient to the point at hand.

Where were we? Oh yes, we go through a great many changes, yet we always come out the same. It's the same for grass, trees, flowers, birds and well, most anything I can think of.

If some enormous calamity were to intervene and interfere with this process of changes that produce the same end result would the end result cease to exist? Would humans become something other than what they've always been?

Your assignment for next week is to read H.G. Wells's book, "The Island of Dr. Moreau."

Come to class prepared to continue our discussion of change.