Five Years Ago vs Now

[Minibit]

What's different? What were you like/up to in 2009, and how does it compare to the present state of things? Let's try to focus on the positive!

In 2009 I was in my second year at my local college. I was alternating between stressing to the point of a breakdown, and giving no fucks about anything; including whether I got enough to eat, did well in my courses, got sick, slept enough, nothing. It was a tough time. Also because of these moods I was deep in my hating the world phase - again. I'd broken out of that shell long enough to make a couple friends, only to become their errand girl and the butt of their jokes. High school all over again. I had my same car, it only played cassettes, had no interior light, and already had some battle scars.

Skip to 2014! I'm older, wiser, know how to pick my friends and while I've never been hugely social, I have a handful of people that I can safely call my best friends, and those relationships work on equality and respect. I even landed a boyfriend! Scotty and I have been dating and living together for about four years now, were preparing to start universities in 2015, and while we're nervous about the stress of distance, were both super excited to begin this new chapter of our lives.

 

[Razilin]

married

independently wealthy

successful

achieved all the major goals i set out to achieve 10 years ago (actually, more like 12 years ago now...) - with the exception of making master level in martial arts

hell, i even achieved goals i only set up in the last year (learning parkour being one of them)

i am financially independent from any and all things save student loans

i am making progress on student loans

i command the respect of my colleagues and the administration at the hospital i work at

i am stronger and more agile at 30 than i ever was at 18, and a hell of a lot fitter

i have done more traveling internationally



i actually had to sit back and think what new challenge i could set up for myself


maybe i should revisit my old plans for world conquest?

man, my life is fuckin' AWESOME

and i had to earn all of that alone. double awesome.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

Five years ago, my baby was still home with me all day long. My oldest daughter wasn't a teenager, an didn't back talk me like she does now. My husband was still working in Florida, and we were much happier. I was starting college, and actually enjoying myself with my classes. Overall, I'd say things were overall better than they are now.

2014, all my kids are in school and I'm going out of my mind during the day. (Although I say I love it, the silence drives me insane!) My husband has been living 930 miles away since February of this year, and I've only been able to see him every other month. My favorite aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and is currently on her fourth round of chemo. My sister and I have fallen out of touch since the birth of her baby who is now a year old, and I haven't spoken to my mother at all the entire year. I've had three cats, and a baby squirrel die on me, all unexpectedly.

But, my son has been progressively doing better in school each report card. This is my last freaking year in Florida before I move back to Maryland where I belong. The time an distance between me and my husband has made our marriage a lot stronger than it was in the past, because I actually have time to miss him now. I've finally gotten my blood sugar under control, and for the most part I've been keeping up with my medicine better than I did in the past. I'm still my youngest daughter's favorite person in the world, which is far more important than any relationship with my own mother. Overall, I'd much rather be in 2009 than 2014, but 2015 is going to be a good year, so I have that to look forward to. :)

 

[HibikiKuraii]

5 years ago, being 10 I was a really shy person, I wouldn't ever talk to anyone! Though, back then I thought that was okay, I mean I had a nice family that took care of me, and I really didn't need to bother with people things and just get through school and get acceptance from my teachers / parents (I used to be a big teachers pet ;w;) I hadn't been too much into anything besides Naruto and DBZ, other anime such as Gurren Lagann, Death Note, Vampire Knight etc not occurring to me, since I had no access to said anime (or manga either)

Though when I was about 12 I discovered that there were more than just Naruto and DBZ, I got my own personal computer because my dad is a really techy manager at National Raisins. Since he had a lot to do with computer he decided I could give the internet a whirl! (I really looked up to my dad back then, too) When I got on the internet for the first time, I was amazed, I could view all this cool stuff and AMV's on YouTube! Eventually I discovered Lucky Star, Shugo Chara, and many others! It's really opened up my eyes to the world in some ways, come 8th grade I was already making a bunch of friends who watched anime as well, and heeck even some that didn't. I just became really outgoing and I think I'm happier nowadays too because of it!

Nowadays, I live life the way I like to, and doing my best in school and watching anime and experiencing new things!

Thank you for making this thread, I'm glad to share!~

 

[Corinnag03]

Okay 5 years ago I was 9 and filled with a crap ton of energy. I wasn't living in the house that I am now (meaning I moved) 4th grader me was a pretty gullible kid to say the least I believed anything, ha ha. I'm not friends with people I used to be friends with but yet again I was 9 and i was still in elementary school. Oh those were the days when I only had to color and solve simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, now I'm reading a new boring book every card marking and writing more projects :(. Although it could be worse, I could be in college haha. But that's coming up in four years sooo....​

 

[govangogh]

Arguably worst point in my life

EDIT: Whoops, I can't math. Five years ago was when I started coming out of the worst point in my life.

EDIT TAKE 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: I did go to NYC at that time though. That was pretty neat.

 

[Brovo]

Five years ago I was 17. I was still mentally recovering from fifteen years of psychological abuse. I was also coming to terms with having a mental disorder at the time, and all that entailed, and found it nearly impossible to describe to others. I lived in borderline poverty due to a horrid divorce, had to take a part time job in high school for a while to help alleviate my dad's bills by paying for my own shit. I didn't understand human beings, I was desperate to get into a relationship to try and solve my woes, and I was suicidal. I wore a masquerade nearly every day, save around @Tempest who occasionally got glimpses at who I was behind the masquerade. (Hint: It wasn't pretty.) I was terrified of my dad discovering my mental instability. (Doctor-patient confidentiality for the win.) I wasn't yet regularly seeing a therapist--didn't feel it safe to do, as the pattern might reveal something to family members. I was just discovering who I was, really, at my core.

Now? I'm financially solvent--not rich, by any means, but I'm not in poverty--I live in my own apartment safe and sound, without fear of having to constantly wear a masquerade to stay safe. I'm comfortable about my mental instability but still keep it hidden from real life compatriots. My best friend @Tempest is still part of my life. I'm single, and still feel lonely sometimes, but I'm happy enough with who I am to not require a significant other to justify my existence anymore, which is obviously a plus. I've learned from the psychological traumas of my youth, I am wiser and more intelligent than I've ever been before, and only continuing to grow as days pass. My writing abilities have grown with my humility and ability to accept criticism, now I am both the mentor to my players and fellow GMs and student to the writers I see above me.

I use my life experiences to help others through troubled times now. In my family, I am an island of stability in a sea of chaos and self destruction. I need no God nor Woman to save me: I am my own man, a pillar, a rock, capable of expressing emotion, and acknowledging the emotions of others. When I see a problem, I resolve it. When I fall, I get back up. Where five years ago I felt great hatred for the world, I feel the opposite now: The world is an amazing place. You just have to change the way you see the world.

Because your sensory organs only feed you information.

It's up to you to decide what information becomes knowledge, and how you interpret knowledge is how you see the world. The key to eternal happiness, thus, isn't to pretend that there is no pain, suffering, madness. It isn't to pretend that there aren't evil human beings in the world, because there are, truly vicious and horrid people. It's in how you surpass them without becoming them that leaves the true mark of heroism on your shoulders. It isn't about how others perceive you, it's about how you perceive yourself, your actions, and behaviours. If you see yourself as useless, you are. If you see yourself as determined, you will be.

If I could, I would walk back five years and slap myself up the head. Tell myself to stop obsessing over women I can't have, money I don't have, and objects I'll never possess. Instead, to focus on controlling myself, and working my ass off to get out, to move out, to be free to make my own decisions, and live with the consequences of such decisions. The person I was five years ago is not who I am now. I pity that person, but I don't hate him: He was me, and his decisions led to me, and my decisions will lead to someone else five years from now. Someone else who will hopefully be more financially successful, with a couple ferrets, in a nice apartment in a better part of town. Someone who will be wiser, kinder, sharper. Someone who will understand, I hope, more about life than I do now.

There's always more to learn. More to surpass. More obstacles in my path.

I cherish every one. If they stop, my life will stagnate, and I will grow bored.

... And bored ferrets are such destructive things...

 

[Simici]

Aw, Bravo, that's all inspirational and stuff. Good job with all that!

...I'm gotten nowhere since then.​

But if there's one improvement, it'd be my grades. back then, I was getting C's and stuff. While I think I have less friends now, I am more secure with the ones I have now then back then, of which always seemed to be getting in petty drama. Now I have like, 3, but they're good. I'm also a lot better at my instrument. That's good, I guess.

Mmm...I guess I know myself better, for better or for worse. And I'm more independent/less fearful of everything.

So.

 

[phantasmagoricStoner]

In 2009, I was a 10 year old in Primary 4 or 4th grade. I hate Art class, and I was basically the first one in class to get my period. Acne was acting up fast, all the girls in class made fun of me for having a pimpled face. I hated it, I really hated my face back then because of the pimples. I was on my way to find my "style". I had the worst haircut and I disliked the thought of make up and dressing up, I was basically a tomboy with no sense of style. I used to wear a shirt, capri pants and sandals. Unfashionable, I know. I started getting into anime and I was head over heels with Deidara and most of the Akatsuki. My otaku period started around there. Most of my friends started "unfriend-ing" me because I like anime. The bitch that I called best friend moved to Australia. I felt like boys will never be attracted to me. Life sucked.

Fast forward, 5 years later, I'm 15 years old. I actually enjoy drawing although I'm not really good at it. The most number of likes for my drawings on Instagram is 26. My face has less pimples, it'll only appear when the time of the month is nearing. The girls that made fun of me for having pimples now have really big ones. I finally found my sense of style although I think I still dress sloppily once in a while. I like my haircut now, it's better than before. I've started to know how to use make up and dress up properly. I'm still an otaku, although my love for Deidara has died. I'm still lonely like before. The bitch that moved to Australia is still a bitch. Most of my best friends has left me, either ignoring me or moved to another country. Life's awesome right now. Although, I still have low self esteem with how I look but my mother always tell me that if one is beautiful now, it doesn't mean they'll look good later on in life. Oh, yeah, my mother has been pestering me to get a boyfriend. She doesn't want me to get a local boyfriend but "a guy from overseas, most preferably Japanese." Her words, not mine. I'm too young, mother and I still feel like guys might not be attracted to me. I guess I've started to realize my surroundings and the problems around me.

I still have the same mindset though, the negativity still won't leave.

 

[Asena]

Oh man! I was finishing up my third semester of college this time in 2009! I was starting to realize how hard my major was, and also I had just gotten GI Bill benefits and was pretty much getting paid to go to school. I was starting to party a lot more, my grandfather had just died a few months prior and I was having to cope, and I was gearing up for my semi-suicidal phase.

Now, I'm finishing up my first semester back in college for a different major that I will actually be passionate about. I am having to pay for EVERYTHING myself (meaning zero government assistance aside from high interest federal loans because they don't do that for people who already have a bachelor's), but I am in a stable, loving relationship, REALLY struggling for money, but I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I'm coming back to who I am and what I love. My relationship with my family is good. All I could ask for is, you know, more money. ;)

 

[Hatsune Candy]

5 years ago I actually had friends that I could hang out with, screw around with, and just generally goof off a whole bunch. God, I wasn't even in high school yet, I was so innocent and ignorant to the world around me. I was also a lot more shy back then, I was notorious for never talking ever. Don't get me wrong, I'm still fairly shy, and ignorant... not so much innocent anymore, though.

 

[MurderDeathKill]

Five years ago, I was working for Sears Holdings Corp; I was better off financially, but definitely not happier. The job was not something to build into a career and I knew it. But since I never finished college, I had no choice but to continue 'cause this job was the best I was going to get. It also got progressively worse over the intervening years I was there, until I couldn't stand the thought of even going to work, to the point where it gave me anxiety attacks. ._.

Then I got laid off last year, and it was the best thing that happened to me. Not only was I able to take a much-needed sabbatical thanks to funemployment, but I was able to rethink my life and decide to go back to school. Since then, I've visited California and resolved to move there once I finished school, nearly broke up with my girlfriend, studied like mad and scored into Calculus on my first try (I'm rather proud of myself for that), finally started school this past August, nearly lost a loved one to a stroke, started a part-time job I really like doing so I can feed myself while studying, and am now in the closing weeks of my first completed semester of school in a decade.

I'm poorer but a lot happier now; I don't even know how to describe how much better I feel about myself since I became unemployed or started school, or how school reignited my creative spark and I want to start modding again once the semester's over, or how I don't have this massive fatigue plaguing me throughout my day and I actually have energy to do shit for the first time in years.

All I know is that I'm on track to do something with my life that won't be the same soul-crushing drudgery that I suffered through the last decade and that makes me very excited.

 

[Diana]

I AM OLD AND ALL THE YEARS BLUR TOGETHER NOW.

I had to go look at facebook and logs to figure out what was going on. O__O

in 2009 we were living in the apartment. :D And just bought our first car. I even had my very first REAL job working as a cashier at freds. O__O

At the start of the year, I still had Moonwings. O_O We were sister sites to Iwaku. I visited Iwaku sometimes, but usually only chatted with people in their shoutbox.

In spring I shut down Moonwings before it's 8th birthday. D: There were too many problems for me to solve and it would have damaged a lot of relationships for members if I left the site open and just started banning people. I was bitter about it for a while. Later I started up AFTA just so I would have somewhere to roleplay with my personal friends. For long long while I was really upset about what happened with Moonwings. :[

I believe it was that summer or fall that Rory had me come over to Iwaku to help him with some community problems. >>; And I ended up never leaving. I was only supposed to stay long enough to help reorganize the staff and site using my experience from Moonwings. But Iwaku was a really great community and it reminded me a lot of what Moonwings used to be like when it first started. I wanted to see if Iwaku could accomplish what Moonwings failed at.


CUT TO FIVE YEARS LATER.

We are now living in our own house. 8D And recently bought a new vehicle again. A lot of really heavy stuff has happened that has recently hit it's peak. D: Boys lost their jobs, I lost my biological grandfather to cancer. A family friend committed suicide. There were some bad issues with other family members. I have been very unhealthy physically and mentally, and it took it's toll this year. The gooood news is that I believe it's all finally coming to a close and that we'll be ringing in the next year on a better footing. O_O I have worked out a lot of bad feelings and bitterness towards online life things and real life things. We've gotten through a lot of shitty stuff and I think it's made us a lot stronger as a family. Things got bad for awhile, but I believe we are in a better place now than we were five years ago.

Online, here is Iwaku. >:3 We're now one of the top 3 roleplaying sites on the internet. We have a GREAT community and an amazing site. All of which is attributed to our members that work really hard to give us a great atmosphere and a fun place to play. I'm really excited by how much the site has grown and evolved over the years! It had some shitty moments too, but it survived and still grew in to this monster. O__O So I am very happy.

 

[Ragnar Lothbrok]

I held a miserable job which increased my dislike of retail. Both co-workers and customers. I experienced a highly toxic relationship which even if it wasn't my fault I was apologizing just to avoid arguments, and my mom, she was always the best.

Fast forward to now. No longer at that miserable piece of garbage job, though I'm still in retail, not sure why. Have a decent significant other who likes to take my fries when I'm not looking. The only thing I would change, though it is not possible, is still having my mom here. It's a bit difficult not being able to talk to her during these times.