Do
you think it's possible, really, for a person to change? I've known people in
their 90's who have told me that they still feel like the same person they were
when they were 17. As for myself, I still like drawing and writing just as much
as I did when I was a child. Cheesy, sentimental music can still bring tears to
my eyes just like the first time I watched the movie 'Beaches' and left the
cinema sobbing. And I have never, ever been able to tolerate the taste of
caraway seeds. Yuck.
But
even if some things about us always stay the same, there are other things we have
choices about so that we can make changes. Just like this ornamental Manchurian
pear tree leaf who chose to buck convention and wear stripes of different
colours instead of the usual green. It’s still the same leaf, just with a fresh
new style.
For
the time being, I'm starting small. I'm taking my cues from nature. I may
always shy away from caraway seeds, but I can try on some new stripes.
The older I get, the more I notice the marked characteristics of my parents in me. I notice similarities in ways of speaking in my distant cousins. Certain traits flow in the blood. And yet I do believe there are aspects of us that we can choose to change by being aware of them when they surface. I think the metaphor of your lovely drawing of the Manchurian pear tree leaf in its new style is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteThanks Priya, mmm, genetics are a funny thing. I agree with you. Whilst there are some things that families share, I like to think that each generation starts afresh with their own unique gifts and talents. Then there is the nature/nurture debate. Not to mention studies of twins who have been raised apart and leading uncannily similar lives. I believe however that we are not slaves to our ancestry. There is always a choice.
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