Change.

"Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no telling who that it's naming

For the loser now will be later to win

Cause the times they are a-changing."

America is going through change.

Duh!

These past few months have seen a lot of emotion spewing forth. Some was to be expected based upon whomever won the election—but now that it's over, the emotion is still running rampant. It's not a big surprise as change often causes stress, and when stress is intense, it brings the best and worst out of people. 

I believe what has caused the most concern, and rightly so, is the fear of the unknown. It's been long said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It might seem trivial, but fear can be debilitating and cause people to lash out and have irrational behavior. It's easy to say, "Calm down, all will work out." I just said it and I believe it, but it's really not that easy. America as a nation, has overcome many obstacles and this is another one. But we are strong, and although a lot can change quickly, we always make it back and remain standing and grow from the moment.

Think about it. Was it the housing crisis that crippled America? 9/11? Years and decades from now, students will read about 2016 and work to understand the change that took place in our society and how quickly it occurred. There are many people who are quite happy with the change and others who are not. But we as a nation have to come together and work toward unity. Without it, we are in a bad way.

America has been divided many times before—it may not seem as fresh as what's going on now, but there have been many times of turmoil. Whether it was race related, politically motivated, or something as insignificant as the Super Bowl (Okay, I know this is a big deal, but in this scope, it's minor—unless you live in Boston or Atlanta and then you're excused) we should be prepared for anything that comes are way, but it's just not that simple.

What has been the most alarming is how much has changed so quickly regarding women's rights. I know I might upset some people getting into this topic, but when you have as many females in my world, it's the real deal. I have always believed in equality and it's actually somewhat hard to believe it's still an issue. All you have to do is look at our workplace and you will see so much has changed—it took a while, but it changed and now in my case more than 90% of my counterparts are women. The difference in their capabilities…actually there are none. My best friend at work is probably the most professional, driven, person I know—and she is also a great Mom and wife to her family. I look up to her with pride. (She's usually in a good mood too.) 

The photo above was taken in Minneapolis this past week. I saw it while I was walking to take a photo of another very influential woman, Mary Tyler Moore. Although not planned, it seems that within a two-block radius a statement was being made—-"Times are changing and we will stand strong through it all." We have to, we are all in this together.

Thanks for stopping by.