I’ve been thinking about this phrase: Under New Management.

It’s most often used when there’s a business, say a sandwich shop in town, that has changed hands and the new owners want to make damn sure everybody knows it’s not business as usual. That the soggy sammies you once knew are no longer because they’re now managing the heck out of that shop.

“Hey Joe Q. Public! Come back in and try our BLT because we’re going to blow your hypothetical socks off. We have a new local bacon source AND we only slice up thick and juicy tomatoes on demand. No slimy tomatoes sitting around in here. Nope.”

Instructive. I want to know if something that appears the same is actually fundamentally different.

Then I was thinking about extending this to ourselves. What if we’ve been fundamentally changed? Our priorities are different and now what we care about don’t reflect where we were or what we care about? We don’t have a sign to post outside for passerby’s to see.

We could make more of a declaration. What would it be? Something as simple as “Hey! I’ve changed.” While this method makes it clear, yes, it lacks finesse — it feels cheap and low budget. If you have to tell someone you’ve changed…well…save it, I think.

I think it’s better to just do your own new management thing. Care about the new things important to you. The equivalent to the new local bacon source and slicing thick juicy tomatoes on demand. Move your attention away from the things you’re no longer about.

Shed them like a lizard walking right out of that skin that’s too tight and small on the ground to wilt. Leave it there for someone else to find. It may be their next new step they want to slip into a bit.

For a lot of us (and this applies to myself as well) we feel like we NEED approval to change priorities, jobs, careers, hobbies, interests, directions, underwear. Not underwear. I got carried away.

There’s no big approval stamp in the sky we call to allow us to move on. It’s all ok to be someone unrecognizable from yourself a year ago. Six months ago or even 30 days ago. I KNOW you know this. I do. It’s also nice to hear it, isn’t it?

To be reminded. I’m writing this down for both of us, you and me. Maybe this strikes you at a time and in a way fundamental to where you currently are and it feels like a vacation to put down those old cares. The ones that have been dragging and keeping you down. Perfect.

So one more time for those of you in the back (and me): It’s your right to be under new management any damn time you please.

The End.