Change is a constant force we face daily yet it continues to be difficult to accept. One would think that dealing with it on an ongoing basis, it would logically become easier. Not all change is negative but even when it’s positive, the transition can be tough. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to better manage new situations but it has been a process learned over many years. As a kid, especially in 1979, I was dealing with my parents’ divorce and all of the factors associated with its impact. I’ve come to realize today but wished back then that someone would have told me that change is an opportunity to discover and reimagine what life can be. That I could control my narrative, even if I was a 9 or 10-year-old kid, ensuring happiness around me.
A lot of what I remember about home life in 1979 is a blur. I’m fairly certain this is due to the fact that I purposely chose to forget a lot of what was going on around me and instead, choosing to only remember select key moments. What I do recall about family-life that year was that my dad was moving on with his new family and my mom was an erratic wreck who was constantly stressed and fairly unpleasant to be around.
I would purposely get on my bike at sunrise and not come home until sundown, simply to avoid an unhappy environment. While out, I would daydream about playing on the grass courts of Wimbledon and the Australian Open, the red clay of Roland Garros, and the new hard courts of the US Open. In 1979 Bjorn Borg would win his fourth Wimbledon title against the big-serving American, Roscoe Tanner in a grueling five-set match. It also was the year before the epic matches to come in Borg v. McEnroe. That year, Borg also would win his fourth of six, French Open titles. His run in the late 70s and early 80s was unprecedented. Tennis was in the midst of a growth revolution and transitioning from the stodgy country clubs to the public courts. It became an accessible escape, through my dreams, of the reality around me, which helped me find happiness in a difficult time.
Fast forward to the current day and I again find myself managing through change. This time through the explosive growth of the company I work for. Inevitably, when you grow fast, the change around you is not always easy. The culture created when you’re a small organization starts to disappear due to the need to bring on new talent. This can be very uncomfortable and uneasy. I’ve seen it a few times throughout my career where the people that helped build the organization are passed over due to the idea that only real change comes with outside talent. I believe this is a flawed approach. While bringing in fresh ideas is good, we should never get away from what got us to this point. Regardless of the route taken, we should be considerate in the approach to avoid the unnecessary stress that can sometimes accompany this type of change.
All this being said, and as I mentioned above, each of us controls the narrative of our lives. While we can’t always control the change taken place around us, we can control how we choose to deal with the transition. The French Algerian Philosopher, Albert Camus, once said, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer”. When the winds of change come along, both positive and negative, be brave and embrace it. We should never lose sight of the incredible strength we all have inside of us to overcome it. Be great and reimagine the life you want to live because you are the greatest author of your own story.
11 of 50 - 1979