Change is hard: according to Peter Pan [Part 1]

“I’m never going to change. I’m never going to grow up!” Peter Pan shouts from the inside of one of my favorite storybooks.
You know, of course, that Peter Pan is not the only one who’s ever resisted this seeming enemy called “change”. I mean, what about Calvin? Oh, you know, the legendary six-year-old spiky-haired kid from the comic “Calvin and Hobbes”. There’s a comic in Calvin and Hobbes where Hobbes asks, “Are you making any resolutions for the new year?” and Calvin answers, “Nope! I want everything to stay the same as it was this year.” Then he goes on to explain:
“This year was lousy, but at least it’s familiar… I hate change! It’s too disruptive! When things are different, you have to think about the change and deal with it! I like things to stay the same, so I can take everything for granted! …Besides, things keep changing for the worse! The longer I live, the more complicated everything gets! I say let’s stop here before life gets any harder! From now on, no more change!”
So he finally stops ranting, folds his arms and waits… but two frames later, he’s off and running, shouting to Hobbes, “I’m bored. Let’s do something different.” And of course, Hobbes is replying with “Some things don’t change.”
Ok, ok. So I have to admit that I was totally with Calvin at first. Several years ago, I had this conversation (more like a debate, actually) with a friend. My position was “Change is bad”, and his was a refutation of that. Actually, it took several weeks of ongoing conversation (if I’m remembering correctly) for him to reach his final point, probably because I was arguing so hard for my point that it was hard for him to get a word in edgewise. But he finally got around to putting in his final word, and that was “Change isn’t necessarily bad. It can be very hard, though.” And of course, I knew he was right. So did Calvin, apparently.
I’ve got a couple more examples, but I’m going to have to spare the detail at this point, in order to reveal the reason for this post. Straightaway then, I guess, to the reason that I have been thinking on this subject. You see, I heard news from two of my favorite bands lately that there is some big change coming. This upset me much at first. Anyhow, the news is this: that Delirious? is breaking up and will create no new records (unless some sort of compilation comes out), and will tour only a bit more, ending somewhere around the end of 2009… and that Peter Furler, lead singer for the Newsboys, will no longer be touring with the band, but will be replaced by Michael Tait, who used to be with DC Talk. As far as I know, Peter will still be recording with the band, but is giving up touring to be able to spend more time with his family.
Of course, these changes will be hard on the individuals themselves, and not only for myself. Still, I feel a twinge of pain as I lament the effect the changes will have. I used to count myself among the “rockers” (groupies, really), going to all the shows and hanging in the mosh pits, buying every new cd as it came hot off the line. Now I’m a 20-year-old college student, working each day and studying by night, seeing weekend after weekend disappear as each one is given to something more important that “rocking out” at the shows.

It was tough, to watch this change occur in my life. Probably one of the hardest things I’ll ever do in my life is to give up the things I want to do, in order to include the things that need to happen. But it’s a necessary difficulty, and will be rewarded, I’m sure.

[I hate to say it, but this is going to have to encompass 2 entries, since I have more to say on this, but I’ve reached my self-imposed length limit. Forgive me; I’ll put the rest up tomorrow.]