“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”- Emerson

What is a hobgoblin anyway… as I wrote that… a phrase that has passed these lips a hundred times… it suddenly occurred to me I’ve never seen a representation of one. 

Let’s change that shall we….

Speaking of change…something I’ve been pondering lately… perhaps even struggling with? Is the inevitability of some of our closest friends no longer being in our lives. 

While it’s something I’ve written about before… the idea that your life is like a train ride…. my thoughts on the matter are decidedly different. 

Some people are on the train for your entire life. Some for a stop or two. Some step off and step back on down the line… 

Over the last year or so… despite this particular stone certainly gathering no moss… change has been a constant. New relationships… the loss of my mother… new career paths… cities… states… it’s been a constant flux. 

And I’m okay with that… in fact… I thrive on that… and always have. 

But there is something about losing touch with certain friends that has had me questioning it all. 

Some are from a decade ago that naturally ran their course… but some are more recent… some are the very individuals that were there for me in my darkest hours… and just like that are effectively no longer a part of my life as they once were. 

It’s sad… but should it be? 

As you’ve heard many a partner say about their spouse… “they’re just not the person I married”… or similar… like that’s a bad thing. 

Should they be? 

Should all of us be the same person we were in high school when everyone said… “don’t change!”… “stay cool!”…. 

I’m quite thrilled I’m not the person I was at 12…22… or even 32… 

It seems petty or trite to say we “outgrow” our friends or acquaintances… but don’t we… is it possible to have the same close bond with two branches of a tree that by way of sheer natural force move in opposite directions… even if we are on the same limb? 

On the back side of major tragedy or upheaval… is it possible NOT to be a different person than you were when it all started?  

Outgrowing a person or job or city doesn’t mean you’re better than that thing… you’re just different… a new challenge is required for your own evolution and whether you like it or not… you are on that ride. 

Enjoy it.

Embrace it. 

Every morning give thanks and gratitude that you were able to spend a week or a half a lifetime with those who made you who you are now and helped shape you. 

And most importantly… stay cool. 

See you on the journey….