Change

Our world is constantly changing. New technology. New babies being born. New books being written. New laws being passed.

Some people accept change, and some reject it. In 7th grade, my school required us to read Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451". I can't remember 100% all the details, but I did remember that I quite enjoyed the book. That and Orwell's "Animal Farm" were both about challenging society's norms. There was a Los Angeles Times' article on Ray Bradbury and his infamous vendetta against large government and systems meant to control and regulate people; he also criticizes technology.

In a way, I agree that technology is essentially an all-too-large part of our lives; I'm no exception. I love my laptop, my iPhone, my digital camera, my iPod...television (maybe). But, a few weeks ago, my dad brought up the idea that in several decades, even all books would go electronic - like the Kindle. I don't really have a Kindle, though my mother has one she never uses, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I love reading, don't get me wrong, but I like the feel of pages. And, I absolutely adore collecting books on my bookshelf...it completes my room. I love my technology as much as the next person, but just like anything else, too much of anything is never a good thing.

But, that's when I started thinking about the overall theme of change. Is it good? Is it bad?
Gay marriage. It's going to be a part of everyone's lives and it's going to be legal everywhere, soon enough. So, we have to just accept it, as my dad says. I guess as I keep thinking about it, the more I'm okay with it. It's not interrupting my life, and it's not ruining my life either. Gay marriages are just kind of...there, like any other heterosexual marriage. I realized that there are much bigger things to worry about than trying to stand up to huge waves of change that are going to come whether we like it or not.

So, as I become a senior this year in high school, and as I write all my college applications, I really ask myself who I am. Who am I becoming? What do I stand for? What do I fight for?
And, these past few months of summer, I've become more accepting of things that are different from what I believe in.

I know what's right and wrong, but I also know that it's okay to just accept people - you can't control people. A smart old man of mine once said that.