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by BOOKWORM (writer), Los Angeles, June 24, 2010

Credit: Eric Carle
Little does this little critter know what lies ahead for him.

Some thoughts and questions as to why the word CHANGE is so fearsome to the human condition.

Why are humans so scared of change?

Life is constant change. Our bodies are created to change. The entire world is changing every single moment. The only way we can live is by changing. So if change is so ingrained in our bodies, the world and our lives, why are we still so scared and resistant to it?

I think of humans as caterpillars. They can be fat, round and lazy but with a secret potential to do anything, to fly. The process towards that immense potential however, is extremely painful. It feels like the end of everything, almost like death. And in a sense it is, it is the death of that caterpillar, the death of the old person, but only to make room for something bigger and greater. Is that what we are scared of? The bigger and greater-the flying? Is it that we like comfort, even if it means not necessarily being happy, but just safe? We like to plan, to know what is happening. It is so hard to not be in control, especially of the bigger things in life. We seem to think that we know exactly what is best for us and there can’t possibly be some bigger picture out there. What I’m wondering is-is there any way out of this trap? Is there any way to truly embrace the harder changes that are bound to be thrust on our perfect plans? Or are we doomed to resistance and fear to the one thing that is certain in life.

What I’m beginning to do is change (no pun intended) the way I think of change. Rather than something sudden and horrible, it becomes growth. When it seems sad to leave everything behind, rather look forward not back. Not holding on to everything you had a second ago. To accept the good that you had and know it is your time to move on to bigger things. And maybe the pain is part of it. Just like that cliché caterpillar, clueless of what is ahead and perfectly content with his roly-poly life. And when that pain comes, it seems like everything is gone, all the good, ripped away from him. But slowly he sees he is not dying, but growing. He is entering the next stage of his life where now he can do things and be something he never could have dreamed of before. Would he have chosen to go through all that pain back at his caterpillar self? More likely no. But now as he experiences the world at greater heights, would he give it up to go back to his crawling old self? Well I think we all know the answer to that one. And maybe next time, when a change seems about to rip us apart, we will stop struggling and embrace it a little more. ‘Cuz who knows, we might all just turn out to be butterflies in the end.

BOOKWORM is a writer for BrooWaha. For more information, visit the writer's website.