I’m not one to quote Greek philosophers, but the words “the only thing constant is change” has been floating through my mind lately. I see it in the new old places we visit around town: a restaurant that used to be this is now that, a brewpub I used to love is now a new brewpub I’ll probably love just as much, a favorite coffee shop is closed for renovations but will reopen soon as something different. There’s a kids’ water park that seemed to sprout up overnight and already is a huge attraction during this hot summer.
Recently, we met a friend for a beer on a restaurant patio, something we might normally do on a summer night in Prescott. But I realized as we were sitting there, it’s been a long time since we’ve done what we used to consider normal. Afterward, we walked towards the courthouse square and stood for a while to listen to brave locals competing in a singing contest in front of an appreciative crowd of folks stretched out on blankets and chairs. Kids zoomed around on the grassy lawn, dogs wagged their tails, and people waved and smiled at each other. It felt like a summer day in 2019, the way it used to feel before the pandemic changed so many things in our daily lives.
We’ve all gone through so many changes these last 16 months: the loss of our daily routines, the loneliness of not having our loved ones visit because they couldn’t come into our senior living facility and we couldn’t go see them, the grief of not having a funeral service to honor a family member who died, the challenge of trying to find new work in the midst of a pandemic, the disappointment of finishing out a senior year in high school in a virtual classroom. We gave up the gym, time with friends and family, vacation plans, and impulsive runs to the grocery store. So much has been different that it’s hard to know what normal is any more.
I’ve had my own changes these last two months as part of a recent job restructure. It’s been stressful trying to figure out who I’m going to be next, and how to let go of something I loved doing. I wish I could say I was always gracious and accepting of the change, but there were days I was cranky and sad. On other days I pretended it wasn’t really happening. But it also felt like just another thing to get through and figure out, a tiny blip in the big picture of what’s happened in the world these last 16 months.
On my way to work last month, I watched as the horse trailers began to fill the rodeo grounds. Each day, there was more to look at on my drive in; horses tied along the fence lines placidly eating their breakfast, dogs and kids running around the fairgrounds, water trucks knocking the dust down. This week, we sat in the stands on and cheered along with the crowd as the riders and horses paraded through the arena to kick off the 134th annual World’s Oldest Rodeo. It felt good to be there, sitting among neighbors and folks from all over who made the trek to be part of this annual summer tradition.
As Prescott roars back to life with Frontier Days and all the events that go along with it, we’ll also celebrate our 245th year of this country’s independence. There’s a feeling of hope in the air, along with the smell of hot dogs, cotton candy, and horse manure. And while the only constant may be change, its sidekick is resilience.
We’re getting through all these changes that have happened and we’re bouncing back, stronger and more appreciative of what we’ve been given.