When my new co-worker told me she loved the Berlin nightlife, I tried to remember the last time I went to a club. It took me a solid ten minutes. I realized I had even been to one last year during a bachelor party—but before then? No clue.
There was a time when I went out every weekend, sometimes twice. It used to be important to me. Now, it isn’t. That’s how life goes. Priorities shift.
There are still parts of the nightlife I enjoy to this day. I like dancing. I like EDM music. But I don’t need to go to a club to enjoy them. I can do that at home all day long. So the unique aspects of the experience which make me “me” as “a clubber,” well, those I haven’t lost. Perhaps they were always there, and the clubbing just emphasized them.
Usually, our priorities change before we can notice. When we do, we might feel sad or at least nostalgic. We “lost” something, after all. But did we, really? Think about it. Chances are, you’ll find an aspect of your former self that’s still alive and kicking—and that won’t go out of fashion like your past habits.
You are always you, and in everything you do, you’ll reveal a few pieces of yourself. Those pieces don’t change nearly as much as your day-to-day activities, and that’s a wonderful comfort when it’s yet again time to say goodbye—to clubbing, for example. Not counting bachelor parties, that is.