The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Don't Be Afraid Of Change

by Dessa Rodeffer, Publisher/Owner

31 July 2002

It seems I've done a lot of traveling of late, and wherever I go, I find there is a lot of room for improvement.

As I watched my son Matthew pitch 7 innings of a great game in New York Saturday, the first game of the Championship series, I couldn't have been prouder. He left the game with 2 unearned runs and a score of 9-2 in Hornell's favor. The next pitcher in the 8th, allowed 4 runs, and in the 9th, another pitcher closed the game for a 9-6 win over top seeded Schenectady, NY.

But he points out, it wasn't a perfect game, and that there are things he needs to improve on. He always seems to be looking at his game that way.

It's true, improvement is needed in all of us and in almost everything and that means that awful word, "change".

Why is it we all get so defensive whenever someone suggests any change?

Maybe if we use the word "improvement" it wouldn't sound so threatening.

For the driver of the boat this weekend in Burlington, Iowa and anyone who drinks when on the river, a change would more likely mean a man over board could save his life, or perhaps the accident could have been avoided with quick reflexes at work.

A routine is comfortable, and many times needed in getting things done and getting to our jobs, but looking for "improvement" may help us from wasting time.

It seems, business consultants are always frowned upon because they are usually the ones who come into a business and suggest change in order to improve a company's profit and loss statement.

That hurts employees who are sometimes laid off, so I understand the fear of change, but sometimes people end up with a better job or improvements in other ways from the change.

Although Matt's team ended winning their west division in the playoffs and then the Championship over all, the general manager was talking about some changes they wanted to make next year.

In our businesses, in our homes, in our village boards and our school boards as well as in our self-evaluations we need to look and listen and see where we can make some changes for the sake of improvement.

I am sure, our football coaches of the Thunder and of the Rebels will tell you they are constantly changing and trying to learn new plays to be able to win the games they play this fall.

They will also be the first to tell you that standing still is the worst thing you can do during a game.

It is also true in the game of life. It seems the way we learn the fastest, is after a terrible loss or a tragedy.

I think it would be much wiser if we started a plan of action everyday, to evaluate the way we do things, be a good listener, be observant of what is going on around us and in how the things we do affect others.

After all, our days are numbered. They may be few, they may be many, but they are numbered and some day they will end.

It would be nice, if God is filling a notebook for us to read someday, that it would include a long list of improvements and changes we have made.

I'd be more fearful if it had only a short note of the rut I'd gotten myself into and that it felt so comfortable, I had decided to stay.