Shift of the Ages

Before starting Christmas break, or even the finals period, my scriptures class discussed Revelation, stressing that the book gives 7 different accounts of the "shift of the ages,"i.e. the incarnation and return of Christ. Paralleling that was theology, which discussed the "shift of the ages" in regards to the first incarnation. I've been thinking a lot about how we shift in age since then, especially as the New Year and a new semester draw near. I'm amazed at how quickly we shift even in our day to day lives- from one persona to another, from one status to another, from one age to another.

Last week I returned to the job that I had had for the 9 months prior to graduate school. I literally dove back into the chaos that is a receptionist at an animal hospital. Part of me would like to stay because it's a secure place for me. I remember most of the dance steps and I do away with it at the end of the day. The pay wasn't great, but I got by. Another part would hate to go back because of the long hours (10.5 hours on my feet and getting there @ 7 am), the monotony, and just the stress of clients that each demand your full attention. It's been a nice jog into the past, and I have really liked seeing old coworkers, but I'll be glad to shift out of it.

At the same time, I've shifted backwards to living at home. This has probably been the hardest part because it's not my home. My parents sold our house and I'm staying in essentially the storage room. I miss being autonomous. I like coming and going as I need, having my own food, my own bed, my own existence. The bathroom is a lot better though.

With my friends I keep shifting back and forth among my friends. I saw my high school friends for the first time in several years (the first time we've all been together since graduation). It was the odd encounter of distant memories and not yet formed futures. We laughed but there was a lingering feeling that even together there are still gaps that have formed that can't be bridged over dinner. I'm remorseful that I let those gaps form. Yet another shift. An unrealized movement into adulthood.

I've moved from independent adult to child, minimum wage worker to high-society (or to clarify, Elizabeth's debutante ball was last week and we went to it and her jazz brunch), from serious student to watching 12 hour marathons of Supernanny, from here to there, from I to me, from one age to another.

It has been a season of obvious shifts. Is there a true "shift of the ages?" Or is life a constant shift? I have no doubt that at some point THE shift of the ages will happen, but do we wait around for it, or do we keep shifting on our own? And what is an age- is it a number years lived, is it a place in life, is it only in our mind and are we in a multitude of ages. Or is life just entirely fluid and we don't shift at all?

I think it must be fluid, after all the world is 70% water and we are 70% water. There has to be a reason why we are composed so much of fluid.