Some people call it laziness, I call it loyalty.

I like certain things. I always have. I don’t change my perception with the passing wind of the masses. Some have called it immaturity, still others have called it just plain sad. It has been said that I haven’t “grown enough,” when what I hear is that I haven’t changed enough for some people. I’m fixated in the past, preocuppied with 1985, like the woman in the Bowling for Soup song. You know what I have to say to these charges? In the immortal words of Clueless Cher, “as if!”

I prefer to think of myself as timeless. Classic, if you will. I’m a connoisseur of nostalgia, a misty-eyed memory-keeper of a bygone era. A couple of bygone eras by now, I’m sure. I don’t wallow in the past by any means, but I don’t mercilessly nihilate it, either by dropping the old for the new on a whim. I understand the cyclical nature of fashion, although I still contend that the Seattle Grunge of the 1990s remains inexplicable and pray it doesn’t cycle back, but I still remain faithful to the classics – Jeans, polo shirt, and white sneakers. Ok, ok, so the polo shirt isn’t as vital a component as it was back in the day. These days Ralph Lauren doesn’t figure much into my Target/Sears wardrobe, but I digress.

I have bid adieu to several friends now who have moved on to undoubtedly newer and more exciting models. While this really hurt at the time, I suppose I can see their side of the relationship. There they are, bursting to be a part of the latest, cutting-edge scene and I’m still happily spinning vinyl and grooving to Duran Duran. They want to meet exciting new people with bigger and better experiences. They want to hear their stories, emulate their style, grab some of their cachet, breathe in some of that “new-friend” smell. I mean, who wants to see the same old people forever?

Well, um, that would be me, actually. I don’t mind seeing the same people every day. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. The routine is nice and comfy. We humans are creatures of habit, no matter how hard we rebel. Habit has taught me a lot about myself. I know that Earl Grey is the answer to any knotty problem, as it has been for years. I know that Duran Duran remains an excellent dance band. And I know that my husband of nearly 15 years still secretly loves the version of me that he fell in love with those many years ago the best. I am this knowledgeable because I kept my old habits while still managing to embrace the future. Because I have, you know – embraced the future, that is. You see, while the Fab Five still remain in my collection and are spun with regularity, I have added some Evanescence and Maroon 5 to the mix. I not only follow fashion, but I ruthlessly dog its every move, wondering if the pointy toe will triumph over the rounded one. And I’ll always want to know what’s new in the world.

But, you’ll have to forgive me if I continue to cling doggedly to my favorites, like treasured books in a life’s library. Because, to me, a good relationship is like a book – you dive in and muck about for the duration. Sure, you might lose a few characters along the way, but page after page, chapter after chapter, it’s still the two of you moving throught the plot together. Some may choose to close the book prematurely when the writing stutters a bit and the plot gets a bit hackneyed. As I said before, I understand.

But I’ll always want to know what happens in the next chapter.