![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
A Partial Meme
Oct. 17th, 2003 03:08 pmThe Way I Wuz!
15 years ago: 1988. Aged 14.
I am in ninth grade at Delta Secondary School. I don’t have a job. I wear tiger-striped glasses and still play with 1:72 scale toy soldiers. Once a month I go to the Silver Snail to buy Ralph Snart, Green Hornet, and (I think) Justice League Europe. My first chance at a girlfriend moved to London, Ontario during the summer. I was too embarrassed to ask her out – she is a brash and cuddly redhead who smokes, cusses, and listens to heavy metal. My mom would never have approved and my sisters would have teased. The girl in question tried to kiss me when she said goodbye. I panicked, and managed to turn it into a handshake and half-hug. We’re reading The Chrysalids in English class, and I hate my teacher. I want Space: 1889 more than anything else in the world. I game three days a week – down from six in the summer. I start buying Talking Heads cassettes. I have a crush on Tasha Yar. I will get an XT computer for Christmas. I am mostly happy, but kick myself for not getting that girl’s address.
10 years ago: 1993. Aged 19.
I am in my OAC year at Delta Secondary School. I work part-time at a self-serve gas station, where I get a lot of reading done and write a great many RPG adventures. That summer, I’d been on my first, second, and third date, kissed a girl romantically for the first time, and been dumped soon after. I am now seriously swooning over a girl in my OAC writing class, and this seems to be reciprocated. However, we only go on a single date. I’ve recently purchased a 386-40mhz PC with money from my part time job, and play Magic Candle every spare moment. I’m heavily involved in local BBS scene. In about six months I’ll start trading emails with one Erin Page, moderator of the religion forum on CompuSpec. I game three times a week, and start playing Mage and GMing Werewolf on top of the usual rotation of Champions, Star Wars and Call of Cthulhu. I discover Taco Bell. I’ve stopped collecting comics because I hate Rob Liefeld. Life is good, but I can’t stand my parents.
7 years ago: 1996. Aged 22.
I’m attending Ryerson University, slightly more than midway through my journalism degree. I’ve been dating Erin for over a year, and we talk about marriage from time to time. My older sister is in Ghana. I own just about every Werewolf book in existence, but play very rarely. I live in the attic of my parent’s house – a kind of semi-private apartment. I have a pet cactus and a coffee table. Life is quiet. I look forward to Thursday nights because Duckman is on. I game on Fridays and Saturdays. On Saturday nights I bring home Taco Bell and watch Aeon Flux and The Maxx on YTV. I tend to be wistful and moody, but am largely content.
5 years ago: 1998. Aged 24.
I moved out of my parent’s house in July. I live on the second storey of a chiropractor’s office, near Locke Street. I freelance for Computer Reseller Canada and have just been hired as manager for the Salvation Army’s Community Response and Street Ministry team. In exactly two weeks one of my drivers will quit for health reasons. In two weeks and one day, I’ll see him on Sally Jesse Raphael, and find out the real reason he quit. My fiancée Erin is finishing her degree at McMaster – we intend to marry next year. I own a small flock of Zebra Finches. I spend several hours each day in the Babylon 5 role-play on WBS. In a little while, I’ll start talking to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
normanrafferty online and get my first RPG contract. In a month’s time I’m in Chicago for the Visions convention, where I meet my online friend radarmun and may or may not have bumped into thebitterguy’s wife. I start collecting comics again when I find Knights of the Dinner Table at a strange little hobby shop I’d never been to before. Life is good, though somewhat lonely.
3 years ago 1999. Aged 25.
We’ve been married for over a year. We live in a two-bedroom apartment near a railway track. I’ve been working at the newspaper since March. Erin attends teacher’s college, and we are perpetually strapped for cash. I’ve recently received copies of the first RPG supplement I wrote. I am actively freelancing and editing for Realms magazine. I still own a small flock of finches. Life is good, though we are poor. I am happy and cheerful.
2 years ago: 2001. Aged 27.
We’ve been living in our new house for a month and a half. I’d started my Livejournal about that time. I am still working at the newspaper, and am following a story about illegal wetland cutting in Dunnville. I want to start a new D&D group, but can't find players. We are very happy in our new house. Erin’s parents have recently separated. My little sister has gone to school in Winnepeg. I am stricken by a kidney stone and spend several hours in the bathtub reading old RPG manuals while writhing in pain. Aside from the kidney stone, life is very good. I am happy and enjoy my job. For the first time, we are able to save money.
1 year ago: 2002. Aged 28.
I am about to experience (and survive) the first round of lay-offs at my company. Erin is three months pregnant. Exactly one week from this day, at 1 PM, we will see the first ultrasound picture of Elizabeth. I have been DMing for a great group of players since January – they are now friends rather than just gaming buddies. Life is comfortable. I am very happy.
6 months ago: April 17th, 2003. Aged 28.
I am sitting in an armchair/fold-out cot in the maternity ward of McMaster Hospital in Hamilton, I am cradling my day-old daughter, who is jaundiced and sleepy. My 29th birthday is five days away. Life is extremely good, even if I am very tired.
15 years ago: 1988. Aged 14.
I am in ninth grade at Delta Secondary School. I don’t have a job. I wear tiger-striped glasses and still play with 1:72 scale toy soldiers. Once a month I go to the Silver Snail to buy Ralph Snart, Green Hornet, and (I think) Justice League Europe. My first chance at a girlfriend moved to London, Ontario during the summer. I was too embarrassed to ask her out – she is a brash and cuddly redhead who smokes, cusses, and listens to heavy metal. My mom would never have approved and my sisters would have teased. The girl in question tried to kiss me when she said goodbye. I panicked, and managed to turn it into a handshake and half-hug. We’re reading The Chrysalids in English class, and I hate my teacher. I want Space: 1889 more than anything else in the world. I game three days a week – down from six in the summer. I start buying Talking Heads cassettes. I have a crush on Tasha Yar. I will get an XT computer for Christmas. I am mostly happy, but kick myself for not getting that girl’s address.
10 years ago: 1993. Aged 19.
I am in my OAC year at Delta Secondary School. I work part-time at a self-serve gas station, where I get a lot of reading done and write a great many RPG adventures. That summer, I’d been on my first, second, and third date, kissed a girl romantically for the first time, and been dumped soon after. I am now seriously swooning over a girl in my OAC writing class, and this seems to be reciprocated. However, we only go on a single date. I’ve recently purchased a 386-40mhz PC with money from my part time job, and play Magic Candle every spare moment. I’m heavily involved in local BBS scene. In about six months I’ll start trading emails with one Erin Page, moderator of the religion forum on CompuSpec. I game three times a week, and start playing Mage and GMing Werewolf on top of the usual rotation of Champions, Star Wars and Call of Cthulhu. I discover Taco Bell. I’ve stopped collecting comics because I hate Rob Liefeld. Life is good, but I can’t stand my parents.
7 years ago: 1996. Aged 22.
I’m attending Ryerson University, slightly more than midway through my journalism degree. I’ve been dating Erin for over a year, and we talk about marriage from time to time. My older sister is in Ghana. I own just about every Werewolf book in existence, but play very rarely. I live in the attic of my parent’s house – a kind of semi-private apartment. I have a pet cactus and a coffee table. Life is quiet. I look forward to Thursday nights because Duckman is on. I game on Fridays and Saturdays. On Saturday nights I bring home Taco Bell and watch Aeon Flux and The Maxx on YTV. I tend to be wistful and moody, but am largely content.
5 years ago: 1998. Aged 24.
I moved out of my parent’s house in July. I live on the second storey of a chiropractor’s office, near Locke Street. I freelance for Computer Reseller Canada and have just been hired as manager for the Salvation Army’s Community Response and Street Ministry team. In exactly two weeks one of my drivers will quit for health reasons. In two weeks and one day, I’ll see him on Sally Jesse Raphael, and find out the real reason he quit. My fiancée Erin is finishing her degree at McMaster – we intend to marry next year. I own a small flock of Zebra Finches. I spend several hours each day in the Babylon 5 role-play on WBS. In a little while, I’ll start talking to
normanrafferty online and get my first RPG contract. In a month’s time I’m in Chicago for the Visions convention, where I meet my online friend radarmun and may or may not have bumped into thebitterguy’s wife. I start collecting comics again when I find Knights of the Dinner Table at a strange little hobby shop I’d never been to before. Life is good, though somewhat lonely.3 years ago 1999. Aged 25.
We’ve been married for over a year. We live in a two-bedroom apartment near a railway track. I’ve been working at the newspaper since March. Erin attends teacher’s college, and we are perpetually strapped for cash. I’ve recently received copies of the first RPG supplement I wrote. I am actively freelancing and editing for Realms magazine. I still own a small flock of finches. Life is good, though we are poor. I am happy and cheerful.
2 years ago: 2001. Aged 27.
We’ve been living in our new house for a month and a half. I’d started my Livejournal about that time. I am still working at the newspaper, and am following a story about illegal wetland cutting in Dunnville. I want to start a new D&D group, but can't find players. We are very happy in our new house. Erin’s parents have recently separated. My little sister has gone to school in Winnepeg. I am stricken by a kidney stone and spend several hours in the bathtub reading old RPG manuals while writhing in pain. Aside from the kidney stone, life is very good. I am happy and enjoy my job. For the first time, we are able to save money.
1 year ago: 2002. Aged 28.
I am about to experience (and survive) the first round of lay-offs at my company. Erin is three months pregnant. Exactly one week from this day, at 1 PM, we will see the first ultrasound picture of Elizabeth. I have been DMing for a great group of players since January – they are now friends rather than just gaming buddies. Life is comfortable. I am very happy.
6 months ago: April 17th, 2003. Aged 28.
I am sitting in an armchair/fold-out cot in the maternity ward of McMaster Hospital in Hamilton, I am cradling my day-old daughter, who is jaundiced and sleepy. My 29th birthday is five days away. Life is extremely good, even if I am very tired.
