"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance, if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."

~William Somerset Maugham~

One of his more profound quotes to date. People inevitably change due to life. Some for the better, some for the worse. Unfortunately, not many of us have the opportunity to catch that "happy chance" before the ship sails.... and that is when one is left standing at the pier watching it sail into the sunset, hoping to hell and back that one did not just let something good sail away.

However, not catching that ship is sometimes a matter of choice. It is when a poet must feed his family instead of chasing his muse. It is when a soldier is embittered with the glory of God and country. It is when a father realises that he has missed his children growing up. 

Ultimately, life is about sacrifice. There are always opportunities and temptations awaiting just around the corner, always... and that is when one contemplates whether to turn one's back on the parting crowd or to run to the pier before the whistle blows.