Things Once Hated Now Turn my Crank

Brian Daniel Stankich on Mar 5, 2009

Tags: beets are gross, best buy, change, Computers, electronics, encyclopedias, God who wasn't there, hate, history is boring, Life, love, passion, reading recovery, salad, self, vegetables, who showed up

What you hate today may change your life tomorrow.

Life changes, and so have my passions. Here are a few interests I now have that I once hated.

History is Boring – No It’s Not

History used to be so boring in school, so boring, in fact, that I never even took a history class at university. Who cares about facts and time lines?

History has since become relevant. Men and women who have changed the world now reside in my heart. Places that have suffered violence or sparked a revolution, peak my interest.

The history that once bequeathed boredom now bestows benefits of life perspective.

Image via Wikipedia

Beets are Gross – Beets are Good for You

As a kid, beets were gross. Their texture and taste caused me to – never mind.

Now I enjoy beets. Their brilliant color (are they red, purple, or violet – it doesn’t matter) always turns my head in the salad line. Their soft crunch teases the tongue. Their tart taste pleases the pallet. More than that, they are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat.

Beats me.

Image via Wikipedia

Best Buy Boggles – Best Buy Rewards

I purchased my first ever computer in the early 90’s from the electronics warehouse Best Buy. The computer fizzled after a few days, as did my exuberance. When I took the crashed computer back, I had to fight tooth and nail to obtain a refund or a replacement, even though my rights to request a replacement for a brand new dud computer were clearly within policy. After hours of arguing and bickering with three different employees, including store management, they finally relented and gave me a different computer. I vowed never to shop there again.

Be careful what promises you make.

Image via Wikipedia

Best Buy has since won me over. Their bright lights, low prices, and knowledgeable sales staff elicit purchases from me, causing my previous anger to melt in a sea of forgetfulness.

Reading Wastes My Time – Reading Recovery Rocks

As a child, my Mom used to harp on me constantly to read. My parents bought me books to browse, dictionaries to decipher, and encyclopedias to examine. I did good to pick up one tree killer a month.

Image via Wikipedia

Over the past three years, I’ve read 40 books per year. Books now dazzle my mind and sing to my heart while dictionaries magnify my etymological universe.

If only I had listened to Mom, I’d now be a world class citizen rather than a beleaguered cave dweller.

God Who Wasn’t There – God Who Showed Up

Once in my cave of irrelevance, God has changed my life. He who was merely distant, has drawn near. The One who loves others, loves me.

One should be careful in using the word hate, especially in reference to God. I used to think I hated God. Now I realize it was me that I hated. If you hate yourself, you cannot love another, especially the unseen God.

The miracle is that once God reveals himself to you, you find true love, you learn to love. You begin to love the things he loves, and hate the things he hates. He finds you, and you find yourself.

Life Changes and So Do Your Passions

Are you young? Hold your passions loosely while following them to your destiny. Recognize that wisdom comes with experience and your passions and desires will change for the better.

Are you older? Learn from your mistakes, discover new dreams, and turn from youthful ignorance.

I also encourage each and every one of you:

Learn your history.
Eat your beets.
Shop at Best Buy.
Pick up a book today.
Seek the Lord and you will find him.

What you hate today may change your life tomorrow.

Answer this question by leaving a comment: what did you once hate that you now love?

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Comments (28)

papaleng on Mar 5, 2009
You said it all Brian.
Mr Ghaz on Mar 5, 2009
Excellent! That was marvelous and lovely poem. I loved it! Thanks for sharing I agree with you \”once God reveals himself to you, you find true love, you learn to love..nice words..I loved it! Thanks for sharing
Darla Smith on Mar 5, 2009
Like you, I hated history in school, but now I enjoy reading about it.
Brian Daniel Stankich on Mar 5, 2009
Thanks for reading, friends. Brian
postpunkpixie on Mar 5, 2009
How could you ever hate history? I can understand finding some periods less interesting (modern history, yawn, Hellenistic period… *falls asleep* Industrial revolution… *falls into a coma*)but how could anyone write off all history? Reading and shopping in cheapy shops I can relate to, but beetroot? Ewww.

lol
maranatha on Mar 5, 2009
Mushrooms – But I have found many, many tasty uses in my old age – and not the psychodelic ones either!

Bible study – it used to be a chore. Now it starts my day right.
Bren Parks on Mar 5, 2009
Many times our perspective changes in life..well done.
Duff D Moss on Mar 5, 2009
Now that’s a clever way to get comments. I am with you on the beetroot thing. Another for me is yoghurt.
Karen Gross on Mar 5, 2009
When I was a child, my mom didn’t serve many veggies – I discovered all the ones that most kids hate when I was old enough to enjoy them!
This is a great article, Brian! A friend of mine told her daughter to “be her own ogre” -ie: internalize the nagging mom voice and just do the things that she knew had to be done without her mom having to nag. Now I’ve got teens, and I’m trying to get them to be their own ogre. Being the one who has to do the nagging is no fun!
Ruby Hawk on Mar 5, 2009
The only thing certain in life is change. There are so many things I didn’t like once that I do like now. You will be amazed at how your opinions will change over the years.
Brian Daniel Stankich on Mar 5, 2009
Emma, you are funny

Bren and Ruby, thanks for affirming ‘change.’

Maranatha, enjoy the shrooms.

Bruce, lets get some beets and put them on top of yoghurt for breakfast, what do you say? Never mind.

Karen, isn’t it amazing how our perspectives change?

Thanks for reading everyone. Brian
Eunice on Mar 5, 2009
It is a creative piece. And good point too. I hated eating vegetable in the past, to mention one, now I like it.
Christine Ramsay on Mar 6, 2009
An inspiring read Brian. I think the thing I hated most at school was maths, which was very strange since I grew up to be a maths coordinator in a primary school and am now quite good at it. The teaching of maths was so boring in my day so I made an effort to bring it to life when I became a teacher. I enjoyed the piece.

Christine
Dee Gold on Mar 6, 2009
yes,what we hate today may change our life tomorrow.
I used to hate computers but I’m enjoying it now.
lindalulu on Mar 6, 2009
Very well written and informative. The way we look at things surely can change and most often do.
Brian Daniel Stankich on Mar 6, 2009
Here’s to vegetables and computers!!! Eunice, Dee, and Lindalulu, have discovered the secret of life change and growth!
Brian Daniel Stankich on Mar 6, 2009
Christine, what a life changer you are! Taking something you used to hate, mathematics, and transforming the way it is taught, so much so that you are creating a new generation of people who enjoy mathematics! That is true life change and making a real difference in this world. Thank you for sharing your story, Christine.

Thanks for reading everybody.

Brian
spiritwalker on Mar 14, 2009
Very nice. I actually love beets even by themselvess and as they always say…If you dont like history then how can you like your life at all…for it will soon be history.
hfj on Mar 19, 2009
Cabbage, i always hated it. Now i love it, cole slaw, fried, cooked, anyway you can fix it. Great article Brian. This was so true, as you get older how things surely change. Well done friend.
Elizabeth Abbott on Mar 21, 2009
My this is a wonderful article. i so relate to every word of it!
I like your approach. I love the flavors on Triond! Your flavor has enamored me as I continue to write! Thank You! I like it. E
Virginia Wolfe on Mar 25, 2009
sorry its been such a long time since i have commented. life just takes us away sometimes. i really like this article! great one. i will have to come back and read it again soon. see if i still feel the same feelings as i do now. very inspiring. thank you
Emily Ashley on Apr 6, 2009
I feel the same way (except about beets! Yuck!) But isn’t it great that we change or life would be so much more boring. New interests are so fun!
Casey Mack on May 22, 2009
I did not hate, but like you, came to my turning to God at a late age. In my case, it was at age 51, after 37 years of determined agnosticism.

I used to hate silence while driving alone, now I find I love to drive with no music or talk on the radio.
Chris Stonecipher on May 26, 2009
Brian,
I never liked beets as a child and still disliked them now:) I too learned to love reading later in life.
Bless you,
Chris
Brian Daniel Stankich on May 29, 2009
Spiritwalker, I love your line \”If you dont like history then how can you like your life at all…for it will soon be history.\” That\’s good.

Elizabeth, thanks for your awesome encouragement!!

Virginia, thanks for reading and come on back, girl!

Emily, yes, change does have its advantages.

Casey, wow, thanks for sharing your story with us! Praise God.

Chris, isn\’t reading fun?

hfj, thanks for reading and for your encouragement!

Thanks everybody.

Brian
Jo Bingham on Jun 8, 2009
I had to read this to find out if “Turn my crank” was a positive thing or a negative one. Lol

POWERFUL STATEMENTS:

I used to think I hated God. Now I realize it was me that I hated.

The miracle is that once God reveals himself to you

He finds you, and you find yourself.

We are funny creature indeed; so fickle too

hated: mustard, mushrooms, long drives and naps.
now i love them all… and i NEED the NAPS! lol
Lauren Axelrod on Jun 9, 2009
Ok, I do have to say that I am guilty of hating history and beets as a kid. Now, I love both. Go figure. I think we appreciate more when we get older.
Uma Shankari on Aug 5, 2009
I enjoyed reading this piece. Yes, we all change as life’s lessons pile up on us and nudge us to take a re-look.