No change - no butterflies

No change - no butterflies

There comes a time in every relationship when it is necessary to make a big step forward. For Mr Chateauneuf and I that step is moving in together.

Having discussed the subject profusely and drunk way too much alcohol over it, I finally put a plan together. With a strict deadline in place we both started working towards our goal.

For Mr Chateauneuf the preparation at the moment is mainly about bracing himself for all things Tash intrusion into his life. As for me, I need to pass my driving test, pack nine years of my life into boxes, decide what to keep and what to get rid of, and give up my London flat that has been my castle and my anchor for the past either years. So, no biggie…

And there is no better way of going through a big transition like a move, than venting to close friends over a pizza. In fact, these friends are so good that they agreed to adopt my dining room chairs that I've decided to leave behind.

So a couple of weeks ago Captain Geek and Caz came over for the usual pizza feast and to pick up my dining room chairs. When I became close friends with these guys, I realised that you love your friends not ‘because’ but ‘despite’ certain things….

I have always been an iPhone girl while Captain Geek has been preaching Android and actively disliking Apple for years. So it’s no wonder I didn’t tell him when I upgraded my iPhone a couple of months ago.

That night we settled down over the freshly delivered box of gooey goodness, when out of the blue Captain Geek asked me if I liked my new phone.

I protectively clutched my iPhone and braced myself for the next lecture on why Android phones are better than their iRivals. To my surprise Captain Geek said that he was looking for a new phone and was considering – wait for it – an IPHONE! I choked on my pizza.

From there everything was happening in a slow motion – I handed him my iPhone and he spent the next 15 minutes going through it, mumbling to himself words like ‘good’, ‘hardware’ and ‘quality’. I was watching him is a stunned silence; on a couple of occasions I opened my mouth to say something but no sound came out - I was in shock.

Eventually he handed me my phone back and said that it was a great piece of kit. He sounded genuine as well.  ‘Who are you and what have you done to my friend?’ – was all I could say. I knew the pigs will fly sooner than Captain Geek buys an iPhone.

But he said that there was nothing on the market he liked and a new iPhone might just be the next thing for him and casually took another bite from his pizza. As if the years of Mac animosity haven’t existed. I knew people could change but this was the case of the leopard changing its spots.

Later that evening when Captain Geek and Caz left with my chairs I looked around my lounge and it felt somehow different and empty. I knew I only lost the chairs but it was only the beginning of giving up my flat, it would only get emptier.

I couldn’t help but wonder, if Captain Geek changed his Android beliefs in favour of Mac, could I do the big move? Could I really leave my London flat for a country house?

I opened the window and let the fresh spring air in. Lost in my thoughts I stood by the window for a few minutes when I saw a butterfly on the fence. It was strange seeing it in early spring but it was a sign that the seasons changed and the winter was over.

As I was looking at the butterfly I had a thought - as much as I love my London flat, I need to give it up in order to move on into my future with Mr Chateauneuf.  A change is needed – something good has to finish, so that something even better can begin.

Change is scary but one thing for sure – it nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.