If It Ain't Broke.....

Change is sometimes necessary. It breathes new life into old ideas. Change reveals better ways of accomplishing tasks. It stretches our imaginations as well as our perspectives of what is possible. Given all of the positive aspects of change, why do we fight against it so much?

This weekend, I attended the Metropolitan Opera's HD broadcast of Verdi's Rigoletto.  This piece holds a special place in my heart as it was one of the earliest operas I explored on my own. I was excited to see a wonderful production by one of the world's leading opera companies.  Somehow I had missed the  fact that director Michael Mayer had reset the opera in the Las Vegas desert of the 1960s. As I watched, I was enthralled by the lights and the creativity brought to the stage. I had to admit that the shift of era and locale worked, but the simple fact was that I did not like it! I wanted my Verdi in its traditional guise! The Duke of Mantua as a sleazy lounge lizard was simply too much of a stretch for me.

As I contemplated my reaction, I began to question why I embrace change in some areas while fighting against it in others. When it comes to music, I am very much a traditionalist. I welcome change in procedures in the office (especially when useless redundancy is eliminated). I don't want to do things in the same order in my class or worship service, but I revel in the stability of checklists. I am intrigued by new techniques in the visual arts, but don't ask me to sit through an avant-garde concert that sounds like rubbish to my ears.

I suppose I'm like most people. There are areas of my life that I want to see remain constant and familiar while I'm open to new ideas in others. I'm challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and explore the possibilities that change can bring. I'm not going to turn anything completely on its ear right away, but I'm hoping to be more open to it at least. Small steps, after all, lead to major changes and exciting journeys.