Change is something that cannot be avoided. One can bathe in the warmth of the summer sun and hope that it will never set. However, the reality of it is that in a few hours, it will set, leaving behind a dark sky and goose bumps on skin that the sun once kissed. And in a few months, the warmth of the sun will be only a memory as summer turns into autumn. Leaves that once were green will now boast a bold red or orange color—a symbol of the change of seasons. Like the seasons, everything eventually changes, despite the efforts of some to keep things constant. A tree that was planted in one’s youth will one day tower over his head, and a house that one has lived in for ten years will belong to someone else. With change, whether good or bad, comes the need for adjustment. When I made the move from California to Chicago, I was given a musical globe that some may see as a nothing more than a souvenir, but in actuality, is a symbol of the most significant change of my life.

Although the “Y2K” scare did not bring on the end of the world, the year 2000 brought along many milestones and accomplishments. I turned eighteen and began my claim to ind

situation in which everything changes at once. After moving from California, my home, to Chicago, my world became kaleidoscopic—different with each turn. I now live clear across the country, away from everything I have known for the past ten years. Suddenly, the late night talks with my younger sister must take place over the telephone instead of in my room, and my closest friend lives some thousand miles away from me. In the midst of my first semester in college, I struggle to become familiar with my surroundings. At times, familiarity is thousands of miles away and I am lost in a busy city where nobody knows who I am. It is because of my struggle to adjust to all these changes that this tiny present, a symbol of the change in my life, is so significant.

As I hold this tiny globe in the palm of my hand, I see it not as having souvenir qualities, but as symbolizing an important period of my life where my entire world was

At first glance, one would not expect the globe to be representative of anything more than a trip to San Francisco. Perhaps a more analytical person would realize that it is a reminder of my life in California, but that would probably be the most importance that an outsider would assume this image to have. In reality, this globe, though it stands no more than six inches tall, symbolizes the most significant change I have encountered so far in my life. Even after hearing me say this, one may still not understand why a tiny globe symbolizing change could be so important. Everything is altered at some point in time, so why would a symbol of change be valued so much? To understand this, one would first need to know me and understand my ethos. I have been known to accept change like one would accept a slap in the face. Though I realize that a little change is necessary and at times beneficial in life, it never fails to upset me. With one small alteration, I drown in a sea of insecurity, desperately searching for something constant to grab onto.

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