A decade in review....
Holy shit, I can't believe I'm posting on here for like the first time in at least a year, possibly two. I just realized yesterday that I have been working at the same job for an entire decade. Yay for commitment I guess, but I'm a little dismayed that what was originally intended to be a part-time gig till I figured out what I wanted to do with my life has kinda become a--and I use this word VERY loosely--career. And naturally it got me thinking, "What have I accomplished in the first ten years of the 2000 millenium?"
My first thought was absolutely fucking nothing.
Then I brushed away the pessimism for a second and decided to really think about it. So here are, in no particular order, the most memorable things that have happened to me in the past ten years (2000-2010):
--Went to England for a semester. During which period I lost a fiancee and became an alcoholic for a short period of time. It was simultaneously the best and worst time of my life.
--Helped pack up my first love's belongings and watched her drive out of my life. To this day, I have only ever had one contact with her and it was through a letter, so I have no idea what she's doing now, how she is, etc. It's like she vanished off the face of the earth.
--Graduated college.
--Moved out on my own.
--Attempted suicide.
--Got engaged a second time while in a long distance relationship. Didn't work out and it was best in the long run, but at times I do miss her.
--Declared bankruptcy after years of struggling with credit card debt. When I am finally allowed to have credit again, I will only have one card and it will be for emergencies only, if I even do that. I've been just fine without a credit card for five plus years now.
--Fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing my favorite band, Genesis, on their reunion tour in 2007. There has never been, nor will ever be, a concert as awesome as that one was.
--Got engaged a third time to my current fiancee. We plan on getting married in 2012, so keep your fingers crossed.
--Welcomed my first and probably only daughter into the world April 2, 2009.
--Mourned the loss of three of my favorite relatives: My grandpa Charles, my uncle Jim, and my aunt Judy, who are all missed daily.
--Suffered a nervous breakdown when my favorite bar was sold and I was out of karaoke work for a short time. Thankfully, I was back at work at a remodeled version of the same bar within the month.
--Saw my mom finally leave the tyranny of her life with my alcoholic stepfather. She has been much happier ever since, a few financial potholes aside.
--Saw my sister get married three times, divorced twice. Have three nieces and a nephew now too.
--Watched my best friend make a terrible mistake that cost him his first marriage and almost his life. Had to convince him not to make the same mistake I'd made several years previous. He did, but thankfully just like me, he recovered and is doing better with his depression.
So that is my definition of accomplishing "nothing" in the past ten years. I guess all of it adds up to something. I quit writing almost altogether after my baby was born, convinced that I just didn't have the time or energy to devote to it anymore. I think now I have more to say again, and I'm still trying to decide what changes to make with my life to bring it back to where I thought I'd be. One of them is to not quit on my dreams. I've been neglecting them for a decade now, and I think it's time to see some things through to fruition. Hopefully in the next ten years I can look back and say I've actually accomplished something tangible.
Cheers, Sparky
My first thought was absolutely fucking nothing.
Then I brushed away the pessimism for a second and decided to really think about it. So here are, in no particular order, the most memorable things that have happened to me in the past ten years (2000-2010):
--Went to England for a semester. During which period I lost a fiancee and became an alcoholic for a short period of time. It was simultaneously the best and worst time of my life.
--Helped pack up my first love's belongings and watched her drive out of my life. To this day, I have only ever had one contact with her and it was through a letter, so I have no idea what she's doing now, how she is, etc. It's like she vanished off the face of the earth.
--Graduated college.
--Moved out on my own.
--Attempted suicide.
--Got engaged a second time while in a long distance relationship. Didn't work out and it was best in the long run, but at times I do miss her.
--Declared bankruptcy after years of struggling with credit card debt. When I am finally allowed to have credit again, I will only have one card and it will be for emergencies only, if I even do that. I've been just fine without a credit card for five plus years now.
--Fulfilled a lifelong dream of seeing my favorite band, Genesis, on their reunion tour in 2007. There has never been, nor will ever be, a concert as awesome as that one was.
--Got engaged a third time to my current fiancee. We plan on getting married in 2012, so keep your fingers crossed.
--Welcomed my first and probably only daughter into the world April 2, 2009.
--Mourned the loss of three of my favorite relatives: My grandpa Charles, my uncle Jim, and my aunt Judy, who are all missed daily.
--Suffered a nervous breakdown when my favorite bar was sold and I was out of karaoke work for a short time. Thankfully, I was back at work at a remodeled version of the same bar within the month.
--Saw my mom finally leave the tyranny of her life with my alcoholic stepfather. She has been much happier ever since, a few financial potholes aside.
--Saw my sister get married three times, divorced twice. Have three nieces and a nephew now too.
--Watched my best friend make a terrible mistake that cost him his first marriage and almost his life. Had to convince him not to make the same mistake I'd made several years previous. He did, but thankfully just like me, he recovered and is doing better with his depression.
So that is my definition of accomplishing "nothing" in the past ten years. I guess all of it adds up to something. I quit writing almost altogether after my baby was born, convinced that I just didn't have the time or energy to devote to it anymore. I think now I have more to say again, and I'm still trying to decide what changes to make with my life to bring it back to where I thought I'd be. One of them is to not quit on my dreams. I've been neglecting them for a decade now, and I think it's time to see some things through to fruition. Hopefully in the next ten years I can look back and say I've actually accomplished something tangible.
Cheers, Sparky