The more things change.....

The more things change the more they stay the same.  I imagine you’ve read or heard that said a time or two.  And we can see how that may be the case when we note the referenced item.  However, the reverse can also be true.  The more things change the more we can see how different they are.  Both can be true.  It’s a paradox.

And it’s certainly true of people.

Some would say that people don’t really change.  They may change some superficial things but underneath that façade, they’re just the same old self.  And sometimes that may be true.  However, with or without some obvious difference that others can see, real substantive change in people is possible and does happen.  I’ve seen it happen with patients.  It’s inspiring.

The truth is the decision to make fundamental change within didn’t happen until the status quo of their old life was broken.  Facing some life stopping trauma, say cancer or some other life threatening disease, they take a new look at the familiar of their lives.  What was important and time consumptive is seen anew.  An evaluation is made and old decisions reexamined in the light of an awareness about what is now really most important.

Maybe it’s also true of not only individuals but countries.  Maybe having this world stopping economic trauma break the globalized status quo we can summon the wherewithal collectively to fundamentally change.  A band aid won’t do.  The contagion has spread.  Metastasis everywhere.  Perhaps things have gotten so bad that the world, lead by the United States has reached a firm bottom. 

Having lead the world here what are we willing to change to lead the world not just back to what was before rather forward into a new, sustainable, mutually beneficial, just, peaceful, playful community of nations?  And remember, that "we" also means you and I?