Changes!

As a child, I loved to read. Loved it. I read all the Hardy Boys books I could find. Boxcar Children. Babysitters Club. The Wizard of Oz books (There's like 50 of them! I betcha didn't know that.) Star Wars. (I was just Oh, by the way, I was just kidding about the Babysitters Club.)

Every once in awhile, my Grandma, who was also a reader, would send me a suggestion of a book to read. I remember one time in particular, she send me the name of an author that she thought I would like: David Eddings.

Yet I would not read it.

I could not get myself to start this new book.

See, it turns out that I like new adventures...but within familiarity. I loved reading a new Hardy Boys book because, although the mystery was new and the bad guy was probably new and there were new clues...it still had Frank and Joe Hardy and their beat-up jalopy. Every Star Wars book I would pick up would have Luke Skywalker in it. He'd be facing a new situation, new danger, but I knew what the Force was and I knew about lightsabers and spaceships and things like that.

This explains why I still play Madden 2002 periodically. Same players. Same feel of the game. (The other reason would be that I don't play it enough to justify spending extra money.)

Now, eventually I broke down and read the book. Did I like it? Yeah! My grandma knew what types of books I liked. I think that particular book I read led to 12 more in the same series with the same characters that I devoured. Again, I loved the new adventure...once I found a familiar area that I liked.

So what does this say about me? Well, when faced with a new situation, I try to make a concerted effort to make it my new comfort zone.

New responsibility at work? I immerse myself in the position until I feel like I'm comfortable. Nervous to talk to new people? I talk to tons of people until I feel comfortable. Learning a new language? Speak Italian and only Italian all the time until I feel comfortable.

So basically - I don't like change, so I try to encounter change all the time until change becomes normal.

P.S. I am very disappointed that the U.S. did not win the World Cup bid for 2022. Does Qatar even have a soccer team? That means I'm going to be like at least 42 before I go to a World Cup game. Wow.