Ch@nge c@n h@ppen @t @ny time.

Before a debate, a challenge, an opportunity to speak and thereafter be beaten down by an opponent, your heart is already a restless bird, fluttering wildly in your rib cage.  But when one of your teammates doesn't show up on the day of the discourse?  Now that's stressful.  This week, my history class had to face each other off in a political related debate.  Meanwhile, this is Communications High School, we can listen and rebuttal opinions, it comes as naturally as walking to us.  But this wasn't just any debate.  Oh no. This was for points.  And when points are involved, the competitive spirit is unleashed.  All weekend, my team divided our strong points, came up with a sequence, and mapped our way to victory step by step.  And then sickness hit.  Our whole plan was torn like a door off of its hinges.  Somehow, we still emerged victorious over the other team, who also suffered from a missing member.  Then again, I know how.  Sometimes planning is not the key to success; but rather adaptation to sudden changes in the environment, sudden changes in standards, sudden changes in expectations.  In the words of Stephen Hawking, "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change."  For me, one who always thought I could acquire all my knowledge from books and thorough study of them, this came as a real shock.

Change can be, and often is, unexpected.