I am a curious fellow, yes, but not so adventurous. Usually I do what I always do, eat what I always eat, and try new things only when I get a push. At the nearest McDonalds from here when I appear they know my order - Chicken crisp, at the school canteen they know my doughnuts and warm coffee, and I wore the same brown jacket for almost every single day for the last three winters. Yeah, I'm a creature of habit.

Last Saturday was my birthday. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and do things I've never done before or I do very rarely. I went to a mall I hadn't been to in months, grabbed Indian lunch, the first of the year. I went on to buy a bar of chocolate, the first Cadbury chocolate since I came to Japan, Marie biscuits also the first in three years, and then ice cream, my first ever Japanese green tea flavor. I went on around the mall and came to the cinema. It's the nearest and only cinema around here. Since it was only going to be my second time in a cinema, I decided to go watch something.

It happened that they were showing Les Misérables that evening, a great movie, a story of a man whose life was changed by half a loaf of bread. I had ever watched a different version but this being a musical, it didn't matter much. However I must admit I liked Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean in the old one.
Spoiler alert: If you haven't watched the movie and would like to some day, you may not want to read on.

Jean Valjean, paroled after nineteen years of incarceration, is taken in by Bishop Myreil, the only man who would  show him kindness in the free but cruel world. It didn't take him long to screw it up too as he took off early morning with Myreil's silverware. But still Myreil bets on him and gives him a second chance when he's arrested. Later Valjean recreates himself in Paris, becomes a successful mayor and industrialist until one fateful day when the unrelenting Javert comes back into his life.

Nine years later, and then ten more years passed, Javert wouldn't stop pursuing Valjean because to him he was a "wicked man". He couldn't look beyond the fact that he was a convict who skipped his parole. Valjean is a captive of his past, he can't seem to outrun it wherever he goes. All through the movie, a question rang in my head; can people change, do they really change?

It's something I've thought about for years now. Some people would say yes, but others think there's no way it's possible. In Prison Break, T-Bag says "We are captives of our own identity, living in prisons of our own creation". In response to that a blogger asks "Can we escape from our own prisons? Can we become someone else? Can we surrender our dark side to the light?"

I'd like to believe people change, if given the chance. Valjean, when given the chance to do away with Javert and never have to run again, he didn't take it but let him live. If you ask me, I'll say yes, people do change, I now wear a black jacket. Since they don't produce my doughnuts anymore I now have a new favorite. Change can be for worse or for better although it seems easier to change for worse than for better.

A story is told of a rich man who wanted his pig clean. At his order it was cleaned but as soon as it was released, it ran back into the mud. Again the order was made and it was cleaned and released. To his disappointment it ran back into the mud. A third time it was brought in and washed. This time the pig was kept for a while then released. Unfortunately it ran straight back. He probably didn't give up then but I doubt he succeeded in keeping the pig clean.

The Bible says in Romans 12:2 that "but be transformed by the renewing of your mind".  For real transformation to occur, it must be preceded by a renewing of the mind. That's the only way people can change. Short of that it's only a cosmetic change. As long as it still thinks like a pig, it's place is in the mud. People can change, if it is from within.

People can change, don't give up on them.