My dad constantly tells me I should calm down, but I feel so sad when I see places I've known since I was a child closing. I burst out crying when a local pharmacy closed the other day; it's just going to become a shop that nobody has much of a need for. But I am trying to move with the times.

In this quote, Zawe Ashton expresses her emotional response to the changes she sees in her community, particularly the closing of places that have been part of her life since childhood. She mentions her dad telling her to "calm down," suggesting that he perceives her emotional reactions as excessive. However, Ashton’s deep sadness reflects a strong emotional attachment to the places and memories that shaped her earlier years. This reveals her sense of loss and the difficulty of accepting change, especially when it involves familiar places disappearing.

Ashton specifically mentions crying when a local pharmacy closed down, emphasizing how these changes are not just about the physical loss of a business, but also the loss of community and history. The phrase "it's just going to become a shop that nobody has much of a need for" reflects her perception that the new businesses replacing old ones may lack the same personal significance and connection to the past. Her feelings highlight the challenges of nostalgia and the emotional weight that comes with seeing familiar places become obsolete or replaced by something less meaningful.

Despite her sadness, Ashton acknowledges that she is trying to move with the times, suggesting a willingness to adapt to the inevitable changes in her environment. This part of the quote shows her internal struggle between holding onto the past and accepting the progress and transformations that come with it. While she feels a deep connection to the old, she recognizes the importance of adapting to the new and evolving world around her.

Ultimately, Zawe Ashton’s quote reflects the tension between change and nostalgia. It conveys the emotional difficulty of letting go of familiar places and the memories they hold while also acknowledging the need to embrace new developments. Her feelings are a universal expression of how people navigate personal loss and the inevitability of change in a rapidly shifting world.