I used to sport a faux hawk. I used to hold an orange in front of my face in my avatar. I used to engage a LOT more on Twitter. I used to walk seven miles each way in the blazing Florida sun to work on a migrant farm. I used to drink. I used to wander the earth aimlessly. I used to be about 15 pound lighter. I used to have dark brown hair. I used to have cut abs. I used to meet girls in clubs and sleep with them the same night. I used to be 25. I used to wear white sneakers. I used to drive a Fiero (don’t laugh, the chicks dug it.) I used to think that all children were brats and that it would be a cold day in hell before I’d have one of my own. I used to be a marksman in the United States Air Force. I used to think gay people were nonhuman. I used to own a PC. I used to think Plato was just for smart people. I used to throw a curveball that you couldn’t hit. I used to write print advertisements every day. I used to be a Republican. I used to only dream of the life I have now.

Over the past few months I’ve had several concerned people within social media tell me, “You’ve changed.” To them I say – well of course I have. So have you. People change. Constantly. Nothing is static. No really, nothing. Change is life’s great inevitable. But for some people, it’s hard to accept. Those people scare me.

So yes, I’ve changed. It’s been three years since I jumped into social media, but I’m still me. Just different. Let’s call it an evolution. You see, change is a beautiful thing. When you embrace it, it becomes a rush of anticipation for what’s around the bend.

***

Jim Mitchem

What Halloween Means To Me
A Boy Can Dream

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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