this is the day your life will surely change

With the election less than a week away, I felt it was time to comment on the political buzzword of the 2008 campaign: change. It is apparent to me, you, and everyone we know, that change is needed and with any luck, is a-comin'... But what about change as a verb to describe my own life? I keep replaying the last scene in Empire Records in my head. (Yes, I own this movie on VHS and yes, I have watched it far more times than anyone would like to admit.) You know, the scene where Liv Tyler gets the boy who's crazy about her instead of the jerky washed-up rock star and all the store employees dance on the roof to celebrate the saving of the business from the evil corporate buy-out and the scene fades out with a The The song playing in the background as the neon flashes and the sun comes up...

This is the day your life will surely change.
This is the day when things fall into place.

I would have to agree that there can be moments like this, but are usually only seen in retrospect. Or maybe I just fantasize about having moments like this, but find that change is never action, only a noun describing what took place. Who looks back over the course of a year, 5, 10, a lifetime and says that is the day where I saw change? It unfolded in front of me. I was there and I was part of it, not just witness to the by-product. I keep coming back to the idea of self and being selfish in the moment, for the moment. I need to act and not simply react. Achieving this mentality has been at the top of a steep learning curve for me, given my propensity to care too much. But I am finding a balance that makes me happy. Have I been witness to my life changing? Maybe a little... again, this is more a reflection than anything else. But I do have my eyes out for it now. And the next time, I think I will see it in time to ride out the moment. And hopefully the Soundtrack to My Life will cue up right along with it. Likely some REO Speedwagon... ;)

PS... Don't forget to GET OUT THE VOTE on November 4th!