Constants
It is funny how things change constantly. Like, everything, drastically, very fast.
As someone who is calm and reflected, I would just wish sometimes that things could just stay the same. If it is good, why change? As it turns out, humans and life itself are quite complex.
I don't think my cravings for stability will ever be satisfied.
You can even argue that the constant change is what makes life beautiful. Worth living.
As I was walking up with a colleague and friend to Havana Club, a lovely bar in Munich with the best daiquiris I have ever had in my life, I noticed that almost every single time I had been there, one particular blond waiter had always attended me.
Always friendly, polite, and helpful. Through breakups, sorrow, stress, but also wonderful and magical beginnings.
And funnily enough, he was there, albeit with a shorter haircut. I asked him how long he had been working there, and he replied 6 years (I have been in Munich for 5).
The weird thought popped into my head that, during my time in Munich, this waiter had been the only real constant in my life.
Friend groups, hobbies, partners, flats, dreams, and aspirations. They all changed. Aside from my employer, everything has been constantly shifting. But that cocktail bar has been a refuge and haven for me in good and bad times. There, I cried and I laughed and flirted and was supportive.
There are more constants, of course. My family, and some long-term friends that I am still in contact with. And nobody is to say that a recent variable cannot become a constant for the rest of your life.
In a world in which everything is fleeting and fragile, is it up to us to take care of the things we value and want to preserve. It takes time and energy, and more often than not it feels easier to just ignore the bridge and let it burn down.
New things are exciting - and I hope to experience so many more of them! But it is mystical and reassuring that there are some people who stand the test of time, unwavering, that you can come back to and call home.