Same But Different

Words and music by Christopher Kent

I had a lover, she was funny and smart
She seemed kind of perfect in every way
I said, “I love you just the way you are”
She said, “That’s a shame, ’cause I change every day…
Tomorrow I’ll still have the same name
But if you pay close attention, you’ll find I’m not the same
‘Cause every day I learn something new
I might look the same, but it’s not true”

I said,
I stand corrected, and I value the surprise
You’re never as expected
One day you’re crazy, the next day you’re wise
I’d recognize you anywhere
But there’s always something new
It’s the wonderful adventure
Of the same but different you

Sometimes I think about when I was a boy
The world seemed scary, but I figured I’d survive
The grown-ups told me I’d be just like them
They said growing up is part of being alive
But every day I felt just as awkward
I thought my problems would never be solved
And then one day I looked in the mirror
And realized I had evolved

And I thought
I stand corrected,

And though I recognize the face
When carefully inspected
I can see a newer model has taken my place
Now when I look in the mirror
I never know who I’ll see
It’s the wonderful adventure
Of the same but different me

Every step along the way is a treasure
And the life we live is our greatest creation
But becoming the person that we’re meant to be
Is a journey, not a destination

One day I visited a foreign land
The people there seemed completely different from me
The color of their skin, the way they lived
I marveled at how different people can be
I met a woman who spoke my language
I said,  “I can’t say we’re all the same anymore”
She laughed and said, “We are the same, but we’re different;
It that weren’t the truth, life would be such a bore!”

And I said
I stand corrected,
And though we don’t know each other very well
We share ancestors, so we’re connected
Although we have very different stories to tell
We get to learn from each other—
It’s truly miraculous
It’s the wonderful adventure
Of the same but different us

Copyright 2020 by Christopher Kent. All rights reserved.