This post is written for Drop In The Ocean on this week's theme of continuation.

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The Continuity of Change (Drop in the Ocean)

It's been a couple of months since I have written my last post for Drop in the Ocean, and it is ironic that this post is about continuation. Continuity generally refers to something has no pauses or stops, such as something linear with no ends , or perhaps a circle. You'd end up travelling in circles without ever making it elsewhere.

But then, there's also the sense of resuming. We can stop certain things, and then resume working on them, such as stories, spreadsheets, or practically anything. However, even in those moments when we are not actively engaging with that material, time is elapsing and we are still choosing to do something which affects the outcome of that event.

One of the easiest examples I can give you is that of relationships (friendships, familial, etc). The continuity of a relationship does not occur only when the two people (e.g. me and my friend) are in proximity of each other. With the addition of technology, we can extend that presence to digital presence. Yet, the relationship continues to change even when there is no apparent contact.

This can go in any direction, really. When people stop talking, generally, it is expected that they drift apart and their relationship weakens. However, it often remains the other person may be available if you need to talk, or to hang out with, and thus, there is no definite cease of a relationship. It can go to the opposite direction, and animosity and hostility take over the new identity of the relationship, which is continuous.

However, the relationship can also strengthen in times of absence. Perhaps I recall sound advice that my friend had suggested, and by applying it to my individual life successfully, I strengthen my relationship with that friend. Moreover, any event that happens to my person will affect my needs and wants in other relationships. Thus, the relationship is re-evaluated from both ends continuously. For instance, my friend is familiar with a type of illness. When there's an instance when I fall ill to that illness, the relationship will naturally shape itself to 'needing' the help we can get from that person.

And by that implication of continuity, we are continuous beings in all aspects of our lives. You might be asking to how I have come to write this post upon this prompt. The proper answer is: I don't know. Coming back to the original point, my posting in Drop in the Ocean is a form of continuation beyond 'resuming'. If there was a pause and resume button, I'd be on a different prompt, and perhaps, if I had a skip feature, I would still end up at this prompt. But the realisation and awareness of the missed prompts or time away has influenced both my introduction and this paragraph (and perhaps the whole post, which wouldn't have been the same without the introduction). Thus, even while somewhat disengaged, the Drop in the Ocean faculty in my mind has resumed across time and changed my experience of it, and this is evident in my writing.

Is there something I want you to take away from this quasi-philosophical post?

Yes. If there is no true ending but simply continuations, we can find passions we have previously lost. The potential is still there, no matter how much the relationship has deteriorated. Let's say I haven't played piano in 10 years. It doesn't mean I cannot learn again and get back into it, but it will take more effort. And perhaps if there is a passion you have either lost or don't want to lose, do your best to engage and not give up. The present state is simply a tiny point within a vast timeline.