As the years pass by...
Is it just me that has problems remembering when stuff happened? Like when you moved house, or started a new job? There are certain points in time that I can hang things off, but other than that I have to work back and forth. I know I started my physics degree in 1997 (largely thanks to the fact my user name was lr197), but to work out what year I started my first proper job, I have to count forward four years, then another year for my masters, then it was the following year I started at Macrospace. I couldn't even confidently remember what year I started secondary school, I had to double check it by counting backwards from 97.
I guess the married amongst you have that year fixed, or the year the kids were born. Although to be honest, my dad seems to have some problems with that, but he usually gets it to plus or minus one.
This all stems I guess from the fact that I'm feeling a bit old this week. On a practical level, I fell down and broke a bone, that's an old person thing to do! Now my arm doesn't bend quite right and joints ache. Old and decrepit. The fact that I'm 31, so I'm not "30", I'm "over 30" can't be ignored either. I'm closing in on what will be my fifth proper job which is more than either of my parents had over their entire lives and it's not like I was changing jobs every 2 months.
It's not that any of this bothers me, it's not at all that I'm mourning the passing of the years, or sitting feeling sorry for myself. It's just interesting to me in a slightly disconnected way. That's what got me thinking about the whole counting years thing, I was thinking about the fact that I'm 31 and wondering how it happened. 18 years of school (give or take a couple of years at the start that are a bit of a blank), 5 years of university, 8 years of work - bang, you're 31.
There are some scary numbers in there - I've been friends with Jane (Hi Jane!) for nearly 20 years; living with my housemates nearly 12; without my mum for 9. I've been away from Imperial for more years than I was there. For friends that moved away after the end of their four years, we've spent twice as many years as 'long distance' friends, than not.
I look back at photos from a holiday that I still consider recent and realise that actually it was nearly five years ago. Then I look at another holiday from 'a few years ago' and realise it was another five years before that! Then I think about the person who went on those holidays, fixed points in time that allow me to look at 'me' taken out of the context of every day life.
It seems to me, that the 'me' who went to Florida in 2005, is the same 'me' of today. I've added new skills, experiences and realisations, but fundamentally I'm the same person. But the person that went to Thailand in 2000 is clearly a beta version of today's 'me', recognisable, but still working out the bugs and details. The 'me' that went to Greece in 2000 is almost unrecognisable, a completely different person who had no idea what she was doing or what she was going to be.
Is that because of the ages, or because of the years? In five years time will I be saying exactly the same thing, that 'me' of five years previous (ie today) is the same, the 10 years back is now immature and the 15 years back utterly clueless. Is it just that the perspective changes, or is it that the ages are the important bit.
The whole thing is quite weird and disconnected. But it gives me a great excuse to go on holiday this year so that I've got another fixed point to look back on.
I guess the married amongst you have that year fixed, or the year the kids were born. Although to be honest, my dad seems to have some problems with that, but he usually gets it to plus or minus one.
This all stems I guess from the fact that I'm feeling a bit old this week. On a practical level, I fell down and broke a bone, that's an old person thing to do! Now my arm doesn't bend quite right and joints ache. Old and decrepit. The fact that I'm 31, so I'm not "30", I'm "over 30" can't be ignored either. I'm closing in on what will be my fifth proper job which is more than either of my parents had over their entire lives and it's not like I was changing jobs every 2 months.
It's not that any of this bothers me, it's not at all that I'm mourning the passing of the years, or sitting feeling sorry for myself. It's just interesting to me in a slightly disconnected way. That's what got me thinking about the whole counting years thing, I was thinking about the fact that I'm 31 and wondering how it happened. 18 years of school (give or take a couple of years at the start that are a bit of a blank), 5 years of university, 8 years of work - bang, you're 31.
There are some scary numbers in there - I've been friends with Jane (Hi Jane!) for nearly 20 years; living with my housemates nearly 12; without my mum for 9. I've been away from Imperial for more years than I was there. For friends that moved away after the end of their four years, we've spent twice as many years as 'long distance' friends, than not.
I look back at photos from a holiday that I still consider recent and realise that actually it was nearly five years ago. Then I look at another holiday from 'a few years ago' and realise it was another five years before that! Then I think about the person who went on those holidays, fixed points in time that allow me to look at 'me' taken out of the context of every day life.
It seems to me, that the 'me' who went to Florida in 2005, is the same 'me' of today. I've added new skills, experiences and realisations, but fundamentally I'm the same person. But the person that went to Thailand in 2000 is clearly a beta version of today's 'me', recognisable, but still working out the bugs and details. The 'me' that went to Greece in 2000 is almost unrecognisable, a completely different person who had no idea what she was doing or what she was going to be.
Is that because of the ages, or because of the years? In five years time will I be saying exactly the same thing, that 'me' of five years previous (ie today) is the same, the 10 years back is now immature and the 15 years back utterly clueless. Is it just that the perspective changes, or is it that the ages are the important bit.
The whole thing is quite weird and disconnected. But it gives me a great excuse to go on holiday this year so that I've got another fixed point to look back on.