Change - For the better or worse?

Every now and then, I run into a few old friends. And almost everytime, I get that nostalgic feeling - the typical "those were the good old days" kind of emotion that takes you back in time when life was much simpler, our hearts and minds were clearer, unlike the emotional muddles and ego hassles that we are in now.

I met someone the other day. This was a guy who I was not too close to during my school days. Most of the time, I used to look at him with a contempt, a guy who I felt was a troublesome pest. But that day my mind was surprisingly devoid of such feelings. I spoke with him as though he was a dear friend. We chatted for nearly an hour, reliving the days gone by. He seemed to have undergone a complete change from the guy that I had known during my childhood. He was now more sober, more polished in his behaviour and speech, more sophisticated in the way he conducted himself. When I pointed out this change to him, he replied back, "You have changed a lot too!". I desperately wanted to ask him, "For the better or worse?", but I stopped myself.

The question still keeps haunting my mind.