31 - Change

I’ll admit, change wasn’t always a love of mine. For most of my life, I hated the concept. I’m more comfortable when I’m locked into a routine, as I assume most of us are, since human beings are creatures of habit.

That all changed when I turned 30. It was probably the realization that my 20s were gone, and although they were a blur, it wasn’t because my life was so awesome and adventure-filled that I couldn’t keep track of it all - it’s because it was mostly mundane, so the years started blending into one another.

I hadn’t really grown as a person, at least not as much as I would’ve liked. I’ve kept that fear with me these first few years of my 30s. I don’t want to look back on what I consider to be the final decade of genuine youth with disappointment and regret. I want to make the most of it while I still can, and that involves a necessary amount of change.

So far, so good. I’ve done things I never would’ve imagined myself doing just a few short years ago. My musical taste has expanded, I’ve dyed my hair blonde multiple times, I’m a certified sneaker head, my fashion choices are bolder, and I’m brainstorming my third tattoo in as many years. So at least physically, I’ve definitely gone through some serious changes, and would look unrecognizable to 25-year-old me.

I embrace trying new looks and doing new things, whereas before, I’d always retreat back into the familiar, whenever faced with the opportunity to take a plunge into the unknown.

I’m not as set in my ways as I used to be. While I still think there’ll never be another decade as great as the 90s, I appreciate where we’re at as a society and a culture now, and take solace in the fact that even if the fashion, entertainment, and overall childhood feels of yesteryear can’t be topped, at least we’re getting more progressive socially with every passing year. Collectively, young people are questioning the old ways of doing things, challenging traditions, and fighting back against archaic, harmful structures like capitalism and systemic racism in ways that just weren’t common even five years ago.

After this most torturous year, I’m sure most of us are looking forward to change. I know new year’s resolutions are cliche, often unrealistic, and corny, but if that’s what it’s gonna take people to feel extra motivated? So be it. Let 2021 be the year you start doing things you never imagined you’d do. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Embrace change. The world will continue to shift and evolve, with or without your approval. You might as well enjoy it.

Challenge yourself. Step out of your comfort zone. Get a tattoo of Pulp Fiction’s Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) overdosing on your arm. Too specific? Alright, just me then.

Either way, I encourage you to give this “change” thing a try. It can be as simple as switching up your fashion style, or as bold as moving to a new city for your dream job. You don’t want to look back at your past with regret and a bunch of “what ifs” that eat at you constantly. Take the plunge now. There’s no time like the present.

Happy New Year, people. See you on the other side.

Dave CastleDecember 31, 2020