On being changeable

Sometimes it bothers me that I am not constant. My mood changes, my tastes change, my looks change, my opinions change, even my cells are always changing, dying and being replaced. Somewhere I read that most of the cells of our bodies are replaced every seven years. On the other hand there is something wonderful about it as well. As a child I hated olives, but now I love them. And there is something wonderful about the process of coming to a new perspective. I shall never forget the day when calculus began to make sense, when I realised that even though you could get close to someone by ribbing them, you could get closer by learning to compliment them. This last week I started off with a very negative view of Chinese attitudes towards Tibet. Partway through I began to understand the visceral reaction that the Chinese public had towards seeing people that were like them (Han Chinese) being killed by mobs on the rampage. And why should the West be so positive about the rioters and ignore the Chinese casualties. And why can't the West see that the Chinese government has tried to get rid of an oppressive feudal system and hasa invested in development for Tibet. Hmm. Yes now I do have a greater appreciation of the public reaction in China, and why they think the Western press is biased. But I am reminded of an attitude shift I am having to go through to accept the fact that some Scots want to be free of the Union with England and that some Northern Irish felt so discriminated against that they wanted to take up arms against "us" and kill innocent people like me! Hmm. The only thing that is constant in this life is change. Thank goodness we can change with it.