Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed. ~Irene Peter

Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavor and human creations.

- Albert Einstein

For the past day or so i have been thinking about change, There are so many changes that occur during ones lifetime, for instance becoming one with another human being, the births of our children, the deaths of our loved ones. These are all "natural" changes, of course, one might argue what about the changing of the mind as one matures but that for now is beside the point. Why is it in our society we feel the need to emphasize minor, man-made changes? Things such as, graduations or  achievements? Is it not enough to receive the honor its self? Is this contributing to our society's incessant need to be recognized? We see it on a daily basis, that politicians, teachers, CEOs, businessmen, suffer from greed, wanting their name to be known. In National Treasure 2 the man opposite Gates says at the end the whole reason he blackmailed Gates, and offended his heritage was to get his own name out there so everyone would know who he was. In a day-in-age of "youtube stars" and international bloggers who get found and offered positions as elite writing columnists, everyone is looking for their chance to get approval and recognition from the world. At 10 years old, children are putting up videos on youtube, checking their watcher count, trying to cater to an audience beyond their comprehension. Facebook and  Myspace, Twitter, and Flickr--sharing our world, our thoughts, our worries with people we may or may not know. How much of this is the need of connection, or the need for approval? Both.... Today, i was told by a good friend just because you learn something doesn't mean it wasn't happening before. Change is relative to what you make it, if you treat it as something that will cause problems, it will. If you go on acting as tho it never did, you'll never know the difference between if you never knew.  We all falter, we all change but as long as we find ourselves and become whole again in the process, the changes aren't really changes after all.