By Brenda W Hargroves
Earlier this month, I went to my local Post Office, only to find it ‘Permanently Closed.’ Discovering this change was disappointing, as it was nestled inside a neighborhood mini-market, which was much more convenient than going to the main branch.
Fortunately, I have another convenient option for mailing, but will have to visit the main branch for other services. I know I can access many of these services online, so let’s not go there.
While disappointed by the substation closing, a more imposing thought struck me. I’ve lived in the same area for 17 years and the local Post Office was there when I moved here and for however long before I arrived. Though a somewhat minor disruption, its closing is an example of how things we take for granted change during our lifetime. I began to think about how we react to change itself. We readily adapt to some changes. Others, however, cause the hairs to stand up on our backs. Why is that? When and why do we find ourselves averse to change?
Loss of convenience – It’s definitely inconvenient when you suddenly can no longer do something you’ve been used to doing. But like my Post Office example above, it’s often easy to make an adjustment. And in these cases, you go along with the change, even though it may be something you’ve done a certain way for years. But what about when the circumstances accompanying imposed changes are not so easy to live with?
Loss of ability – Nothing burns me more than when change is forced, claiming the change is best for me when, in reality, it benefits the one making the change. Take my bank, for example. They closed all the drive-up windows, a service I appreciated. Now, no matter what time you go inside to take care of business, only one teller is available to help, regardless of the number of customers in line. These measures are all designed to promote online banking and discourage folks from visiting a branch, which lessens staffing requirements.
I also have an account with a credit union that recently built a new branch close to my house. Besides having several drive-up windows, they open early and close late to better accommodate their customers’ schedules. After having my account at the bank for more years than I care to mention, I’m slowly moving towards ending our relationship and taking all of my business to the credit union. While they also offer online service, they do not try to force their customers to use it.
And please don’t give me the convenience argument. I can’t tell you how many people I know who have experienced fraud using online banking services. This brings me to my next point.
Loss of privacy – While I believe that technology has significantly changed the way we communicate, it has also enabled privacy loss. And we’ve become lax regarding our privacy, mistakenly thinking it’s fine because we have nothing to hide. But it’s not just about having something to hide. Much of your business, financial or otherwise, does not need to be publicly available. Take, for example, the abortion court case that’s been fueled by Facebook surrounding data concerning one of its users. While phones, computers and apps have made it easy to share information, we should always exercise care when using these forms of technology.
Morning Brew, one of my favorite newsletters, often includes interview excerpts. When asked about how her elders would have reacted to social media, Tressie McMillan Cottom, sociologist, university professor and New York Times columnist, quoted her great-grandmother’s belief that “having a private life was a virtue.” I totally agree with this statement. Your privacy is your business and treating it as such is indeed a desirable quality to have.
When asked how he would explain TikTok to an elder, David Maraniss, a Washington Post associate editor and best-selling author, responded, “Someone needs to explain it to me first. Or not.” Considering all the current discussions about TikTok security issues, I lean towards ‘or not.’
We can all think of situations where we’ve been forced to make a change. I believe we should always pick our battles, but fight to the finish when confronted with a change we’re not ready to accept. This quote comes to mind. “Authors regard changes as ‘plot twists’ and keep on moving!” I plan to keep on moving until it’s no longer possible to resist unwanted change.
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