Plus ça change,
Plus c’est la même chose
The more that things change,
The more they stay the same.
I’ve been on vacation for the past week, visiting friends back in Washington, D.C. Last night I saw Rush in concert at the Nissan Pavilion in the Northern Virginia suburbs. It was an excellent show, but that’s not why I’m writing. I had a personal epiphany thanks to one of their songs.
The quote above is from the chorus of the song “Circumstances,” which Rush played at last night’s show. It’s one of my favorite songs, and this tour is the first time they’ve performed it since 1980. As I was listening to the song, I realized that quote summed up my life as of yesterday.
The last time I saw Rush was in August 2004. That show ended with “Limelight,” and this show began with “Limelight.” My life has changed so much in those 34 months, yet so much has stayed the same.
That day in 2004, I was getting over a crush on someone who I thought I’d never see again. Eventually we did see each other again, and we even were able to hang out while I was in Washington this week. In fact, I developed a mini-crush again, but I knew it was futile since I was returning to California today. So last night I was fretting about it — not significantly, but again, “the more that things change…”
Even more generally than that: what all has happened in my life since 2004? I quit my job, sold my condo, and moved to California. I started grad school. I found a great internship with Apple which I’m starting tomorrow. It’s all pretty life-changing stuff. Yet I was back at the Nissan Pavilion last night, watching Rush, with one of my closest friends from high school.
The more that things change… the more they stay the same.
Daring Fireball: Exchange Exchange
