Time changes everything except something within us which is

Host:
The dawn light barely touches the edge of the horizon, casting a soft glow across the worn streets. Fog clings to the buildings, and the world feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting for the day to begin. Inside a small café, the air is thick with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, the sound of a cup being set down gently on the table breaking the stillness. The clicking of a distant clock marks the passing of another minute, another breath.

Jack sits in the corner, staring out the window, his hand wrapped around his coffee cup. Jeeny is across from him, her fingers tracing the rim of her own cup, lost in thought. There’s something subtle in the air between them—an unspoken conversation, a quiet understanding that something is shifting.

Jeeny:
(her voice soft, almost to herself, breaking the silence)
"Time changes everything, doesn’t it? But, sometimes, I feel like there’s always something inside us that’s constantly surprised by change. Like we know it’s coming, but we’re never really ready for it. Thomas Hardy once said, 'Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change.' What do you think about that?"

Jack:
(chuckles, leaning back in his chair with a wry smile)
"Sounds like a typical Hardy thought, doesn’t it? A little too melancholic for my taste. Time changes everything—people, places, situations—but something inside us, some part of our core, always resists it. We think we’re prepared for the next step, but when it comes, it’s like we’ve been hit with a surprise. I guess it’s just part of being human."

Jeeny:
(her eyes soft but searching, she tilts her head slightly)
"Maybe, but don’t you think there’s something beautiful about that? That part of us that is constantly surprised by change? It means we’re alive, that we still have the capacity to feel, to react to the world as it shifts. I think there’s a certain vulnerability in that, but also a strength. It shows we’re never truly hardened by the passage of time. That there’s always something new within us, no matter how much the world changes."

Jack:
(smirking, almost teasing)
"Vulnerable, huh? Seems more like a flaw to me. If we’re always surprised by change, then how can we truly adapt? We should be learning to expect it, not be taken aback by it. People keep changing, growing older, moving on, but it’s the ones who stay resistant to that change who seem to suffer. I think we can choose to embrace change rather than just be constantly caught off guard by it."

Host:
The clock ticks in the background, its ticking sound almost melodic, steady, in contrast to the quiet storm of emotions swirling around the table. The soft light from the window casts long shadows, and yet there’s something warm in the stillness, something familiar about the tension between them.

Jeeny:
(leans forward slightly, her voice quieter but with a sense of depth)
"I get what you’re saying, Jack, but there’s beauty in that surprise. It means we’re not dead inside, that we still have the capacity to be moved. Change doesn’t always have to be welcomed with open arms, but it’s the part of life that shapes us. It shapes us even when we try to resist it. Even when we think we’re ready for it, we can never predict the impact it’ll have. I think that’s why we’re surprised. It’s the unpredictability of life that keeps us feeling alive."

Jack:
(pauses, his gaze softening as he watches her, his voice less cynical, more thoughtful)
"I don’t know. I think I’m just tired of being surprised by it. It’s like you spend your whole life building these expectations, these structures in your mind, and then time just comes and knocks them all down. You’d think we’d learn to live without so much expectation, but there’s always that part of you that hopes things won’t change, that they’ll stay the same. It’s like… like fighting a losing battle."

Jeeny:
(her voice gentle, almost empathetic)
"But isn’t it that very hope that keeps us going, Jack? That part of us that believes things won’t change? It’s the hope that keeps us connected to the world, keeps us fighting. Even though we know change is inevitable, we still find that little spark inside us that wants things to stay the same, just for a little longer. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing, being surprised by change. Maybe it’s just part of how we grow, how we adapt."

Host:
The air between them shifts, as though the words are slowly beginning to settle, finding a rhythm. The light in the room continues to soften as the day wears on, and the quiet tension between them begins to dissolve into something closer to understanding. The world outside continues its march, ever changing, but inside this small café, there is a brief moment of stillness.

Jack:
(finally nods, a slow smile creeping onto his face)
"Maybe. Maybe that surprise is what makes us human, after all. If we were always prepared for change, we might never really feel it—never really experience it. Maybe it’s that shock, that initial feeling of being knocked off balance, that helps us see just how much life keeps moving, keeps evolving. Maybe there’s something in that surprise that helps us grow, even when we don’t want to."

Jeeny:
(with a soft, knowing smile, her eyes brightening)
"Exactly. Change doesn’t just happen to us—it’s something we experience, something that affects us, deeply. The surprise keeps us open to it, keeps us alive. It’s just another part of the journey, isn’t it?"

Host:
The light outside grows dimmer now, the city’s hustle fading into the distance as the evening settles in. The warmth of their conversation lingers in the air, like the fading glow of the sunset. Time, like the world outside, continues to shift and change, but here, in this moment, Jack and Jeeny have found a new understanding: that perhaps it’s the surprise of change that keeps us moving, keeps us alive, and keeps us growing.

End.