Who Were You?

[Shiny]

I joined this site in 2005 and became super active 10 years ago. In retrospect, I was a much different person then. I basically had boils on my face, I was extremely shy, withdrawn, and went through a period of being a bit of a hermit. I was trying to figure out myself as other people were trying to figure me out. A lot of my time was spent in my head. I also thought I was a really great poet and song writer. It's funny because if I knew myself back then I don't think I would even like myself.

What kind of a person were you ten years ago?

[Vasher]

10 years ago I was not too dissimilar. I was committed to my wife and son, only 2 less kids, 1 fewer dogs. However, very frugal when it came to autos, frivolous when it came to the boys "fashion", still having friends over for UFC/Boxing, maybe a little less hairy, and a whole lot more "gym rat".

You'd have to go back at least 13 years for the major milestone (to this very month). I had just found out that my gf (now wife) was pregnant. Huge moment. I knew I was ready. Doubt and fear never entered my mind. I still remember how afraid she was when she told me. She even said she would "*" (I can't bring myself to say the word) if I wanted her to (she said this while crying, she was so "fragile" then, yet somehow still confident, very strong woman now). When I told her that I wanted her to keep our baby, the joy and happiness she expressed really matched my own feelings. It was that moment that I went from being a "boy", to earning my "Man Card".


So, "Jack Ass" to "devoted husband and father". Pretty major change, IMHO.

[Colonel Angus]

10 yrs. ago I was a couple of years out of college and a freelance writer, struggling to get a staff gig. I hardly had a presence on the internet back then. I would say I was still trying to find myself, what I believed, the kind of person I wanted to be. :shobon:

Now, I'm no longer a professional writer & I'm An Internet God. I've learned quite a bit about myself & the world since then, enough to know that there's always more to learn. :shrug:

[CimminyCricket]

Ten years ago I was a dumb as high school kid who knew nothing about determination, discpline, or what it really meant to be an adult.

Now I at least have determination and discipline, but I still have no clue how to be an adult.

I just spent $224 on new EDC knives.

[Midgar Mist]

10 years ago I was not too dissimilar. I was committed to my wife and son, only 2 less kids, 1 fewer dogs. However, very frugal when it came to autos, frivolous when it came to the boys "fashion", still having friends over for UFC/Boxing, maybe a little less hairy, and a whole lot more "gym rat".

You'd have to go back at least 13 years for the major milestone (to this very month). I had just found out that my gf (now wife) was pregnant. Huge moment. I knew I was ready. Doubt and fear never entered my mind. I still remember how afraid she was when she told me. She even said she would "*" (I can't bring myself to say the word) if I wanted her to (she said this while crying, she was so "fragile" then, yet somehow still confident, very strong woman now). When I told her that I wanted her to keep our baby, the joy and happiness she expressed really matched my own feelings. It was that moment that I went from being a "boy", to earning my "Man Card".


So, "Jack Ass" to "devoted husband and father". Pretty major change, IMHO.

That's such a nice story :-)

10 years ago I was in my last few months of University. I was still with my first boyfriend but things were rocky at this point. My mood was more volatile, I was still fairly inexperienced with the internet at this point, still in a frame of mind where I would get defensive and angry online. Also more inexperienced and scared of jobseeking.

I now have more experience with both. My social skills have improved through trial and error, and I'm much calmer online now.

As for jobs, I have more of an idea of what companies are looking for and can read between the lines of job ads better. Actually working for companies during the last 10 years has helpedd with this.

[Sephex]

EDIT: Misread post as when you first joined! Whoops! I'm leaving it. I may post the decade stats at another time.

2001. 8 months out of High School. I was working a minor role in an office job where I currently work (long story how I ended up back here). Got a decent wage for someone living with my parents for free. I basically was working to save money for community college and stuff. I was still pretty deep into listening to Marilyn Manson. Though I am still a fan, my musical taste has expanded greatly since then (not saying that I listened to nothing but """"goth"""" stuff, though). I was a couple of months from my first serious relationship, so I am sure any thread I made about my perceptions of relationships were completely laughable (and would still be laughable after a couple more serious relationships).

What I remember fondly is how young this forum was. Keep in mind seeing people with avatars and signatures with video game sprites was still sort of a novelty and it was magical to see things like that. I've had this avatar forever (not counting changing it to a larger size when this forum enabled that), but before I had the Paladin Cecil battle sprite for a bit. I don't know, it was just so cool and fresh at the time.

Oh yeah, I didn't even drive then! I had very little experience on a permit, but that's about it. See in my state you have to go through a lot of red tape to get your license when you are 16 or 17. When you are 18 you can literally take the driving test without fuss as long as you passed the written test, have legit identification, and are using a legit card up to spec. I had friend that could drive, and they didn't mind hauling me around since we all lived close together. So I purposely waited till I felt comfortable enough to stroll on through the DMV and get my license. Man, I didn't drive when I joined here. Wow.

Obviously, I still lived with my folks. We didn't have the internet at home until August of the year I joined, so I could only post from work or a friend's house back then. That's another weird thing to think about, especially since the accessibility of the internet is so much easier these days. This was still in the days were having a fast, reliable connection was rare and/or expensive. So working where I worked at the time was a dream since the internet was absurdly fast at the time.

So, to sum up:

*18 years old
*A few months out of High School
*Working a full time job
*No college, but did go and was saving for it
*No car or drivers license
*No real relationship experience outside of a few short lived ones in High School
*Lived with parents
*Internet culture, accessibility wildly different from today
*Did not have access to internet where I lived

[Calliope]

A decade ago I was still posting here, but likely in net cafes or library computers. I was in my first office job, which would be much more influential than I thought it would be. I was a bit random, a bit of a "manic pixie dream girl" before the term was coined; and quite a bit more optimistic and fun-loving than I am now. Responsibilities and realities are funny like that.

[Chris]

I was funny, handsome, teenager, Grace Jones obsessed maniac. I am still some of those.

[Bubba]

Aww man, ten years ago was the height of my hedonistic twenties. I had a much larger circle of friends and we'd be out drinking to excess every weekend and quite often during the week. I did some pretty daft things back then and cringe sometimes when I think of my antics. Taking illegal drugs was a big part of my social agenda too. It was a bit of a wild time. I did lots of travelling and had lots of fun but entering my thirties I calmed down a lot. I think if MissH had met me in my twenties she'd have run a mile!

I suppose I'm similar to Vasher in the way that I've matured a lot through having a home and a family and being self-sufficient. In a way I'm kind of glad I joined EOFF a little later than most as I'm sure I would be the list of perma-bans!

[Pike]

Ten years ago I was in university desperately trying to figure out whether or not I should change my major. (I ended up not doing it because I didn't want to get into any more student loan debt.) I was working at Target OH HEY LOOK WHAT I'M STILL DOING.

I think I was huge into Neopets at the time. World of Warcraft was out but I was deliberately avoiding it in the name of school.

That's really all I can remember.

Honestly I've been the same person for the past ~16 years, haha.

[Galuf]

i dont really know. i was 8, so.. less mature for sure. but tbh i think ive gotten maybe less confident. idk, i dont remember much lol.


oh yeah i watched spiderman when i was 8. thats all i renember

[Pumpkin]

Ten years ago I was about to turn 14, I was dating a guy who would soon pressure me in to having sex before I was ready by calling me names and threatening to leave me, and would also soon be entering in to a five year long abusive relationship.

On the brightside I was much thinner and had some super nice clothes and a lot more friends

[Fynn]

I was 16. It was my first year of high school. It was pretty cool. I had a lot of friends and I felt really enthusiastic about everything at school, spending each break just talking to people, and my class actually had no troutty people, which was really awesome. I was already good friends with my now wife, but we hadn't started dating until a year later. I was much skinnier then, too, which seems so abstract at this point. And I had an emo haircut. Interesting times. That was also the year when we went to Italy with the choir. One of the best trips of my life, hands down.

Ooh, also, that's when I joined EoFF, finally! :D

[Formalhaut]

Ten years ago? I'd be... 11?! Oh, don't remind me.

I was, and still am in fact, a very boring person. I was an average student, in an averagely dysfunctional family. Seriously, I'm trying to think of an anecdote or story from that time, and I'm coming up with nothing. Year Seven education completely flew by me.

[FFNut]

When I first joined I was the same as I am now.

10 years ago I was a oil patch worker working 364 days a year 17 hours a day I really didn't have an identity besides a guy who worked his tail off for really nothing in the end.

[Freya]

I was 15/16. In my personal life I had few friends and spent my weekends at my sisters house playing World of Warcraft because my house had dial up. On EoFF I was attention seeking and immature. No one cared for me in my personal life so I tried to get everyone to care for me here and was an asshole. I "collected" eoffers on msn lol. At one point I had like 200. 3 years later is when I had my health issues start (with a bang mind you) and that really put my whole world into a new perspective and I had to grow the smurf up. but 10 years ago? I was incredibly annoying and selfish. Yah know, typical 16 yr old.

[SammieBabe]

When I joined the forums, I was a 23 year old new mother. I was about to marry a bully, because I was terrified of being a 23 year old single mother. I joined here desperately looking for something that was mine, and mine alone.
I made some friends, some of which I still have, and had this wonderful little support system throughout my second pregnancy, divorce, and all the turmoil that followed.
With the exception of the last five months, I've been pretty inactive since 2010-2011, occasionally dropping in to respond to a year old PM.
Everything has come full circle, I suppose, as now, almost eleven years later, I'm older, (hopefully) wiser, but still here. :)

[Bri]

I was twenty, married and working. Then I got divorced after a year, was depressed and suffered bad panic attacks. Had to move back in to my parents. They supported and helped me get through my roughest time until I was able to pick my self up and put my life back piece by piece. Now after ten years, I am where I want to be. I have two wonderful boys, living on a farm and engaged to the most wonderful guy in the world. I honestly am grateful for what I had to go through in order for me to be where I am today. I guessed it all paid off. I have never been this happy compared ten years ago. My life is complete and I don't have that feeling of searching for something anymore. I've learned to grow through my experiences and become a better and happier me.

[Blackmageboi]

I was 14 years old. I'd say I was fairly naïve and immature. I had a pretty rubbish friendship group and found it difficult to talk to girls. I was social but a bit weird. I'd also just gone through some serious family stuff, can't remember if I ever posted about it but it definitely made me a bit more attention seeking. I don't like looking back at my old posts on here, they're too cringeworthy.

I like to think I've changed a hell of a lot since then.

[Madame Adequate]

Over the last ten years my political views have changed, but not much else. Video games all day erry day, disregard anything that doesn't further that goal.

[Crop]

I was 14 and I was rocking the neighbourhood. 5 years later I was rocking the town. Now I'm rocking the city. 5 years from now...the country? 10 years...the world?!

[Zeldy]

I was 12 when I joined. I'm 23 now.

I was a little goth at school so I think its why I ended up stumbling on eoff as I was always a bit insecure given that being a 'goth' certainly wasn't cool. I had more time for video games though, I had fun.

Fast forward to college and I was bit more confident, I started drifting from eoff then as I suddenly got a social life. College was mint, I got the chance to sneak to parties and climb over fences and all that fun stuff.

Then to University, this is 2010 and again, the first two years I lived it up. Third year I started staying home more and then graduated.

Then just worked, I've worked in loads of different industries. Ive sold turbo chargers, apprenticeships & training and website performance (my last).

Now I work still in IT. The only goth in the office.

[Sephex]

Okay, now I will do this properly. 10 years ago. I was 23. I was at the very tail end of a serious relationship. Actually, we were broken up for a couple of days, but I kept it to myself for the time being because today is my sister's birthday, and I knew news of us breaking up would upset her, so I didn't tell her until a couple of days later.

I was living in an apartment that my Grandma had, but she died about a year prior. One of the reasons why I moved in is because she left behind two cats, one of which lives with me to this day (the other was older and passed away in 2011). My parents were still paying most of the rent and bills on the place because at the time I was working two part time jobs. UPS loader and I worked at a proshop at a local ice arena.

I actually owned a car that was fully paid off because I found a car (that actually lasted me 9 years with only one major repair done to it) that was relatively cheap and I had enough inheritance money to pay for it.

Music wise for the past year or so around then, I was really getting back into prog music, which is something I have always loved since my father listens to a lot of prog, but I started to branch out to more modern prog at the time, like The Mars Volta.

This was actually a major turning point in my life and I didn't realize it. Like I said, the girl I was with broke up with me and basically immediately jumped ship to someone else, who she would marry six months later and have a kid with (they are divorced as of now, but seem to peacefully share custody of their child from what I have heard). That sort of left me bitter for awhile until I realized that it had nothing to do with me. She was one of those people who just wanted to play house and rush into starting a family and having a kid as soon as possible. Her parents married and had her in under a year, so she perceived that as normal. My parent's sort of had a quick start too, but I am way more methodical and am about doing things when I feel 100% comfortable with it. She more or less found someone that was willing to rush into things head first with her. I wasn't that guy. And I'm glad. There was no way I was ready for a kid in my 20s. Plus, and I know this sort of thing happens and I am not judging anyone who has done this, but if I were to have a kid with someone, I would be really bummed if I got divorced. I wouldn't want to put a kid through that even if me and the mother could get along and there was no custody nonsense or whatever. Again, it's a personal preference for me, and I don't think poorly of other people who are in a situation like that.

As for stuff relating to here, I wasn't all that active. I did post here and there, but I was only active constantly for the first year or so when I joined and finally stuck around from 2012 and on. Most of my post count is from that year forward. I would never think I would be a mod 10 years ago. That to me is still a bit crazy!

[Mr. Carnelian]

Ten years ago, I was eleven, and it was my second-to last term at primary school. Honestly, I was looking forward to leaving. I didn't have many friends, and most of the kids there were self-entitled, arrogant smurfheads. The school day was stupidly long - 8am to 6pm, if you can believe it - and I'd come every day ready to drop. There was nobody my age where we'd moved to that I knew at that point, so I didn't really have anything to do with the free time I did have. It wasn't much fun, basically.

[Aulayna]

Back when I joined, I was a hormonal teenager who was in the 2nd year of university, who hated everything, was incredibly insecure, and would quote-slash and debate on the internet till the cows come home. I also lived with my mother who, at the time, loved nothing more than putting others down to make herself feel better. This caused my living situation to be incredibly volatile at times.

Then I disappeared for like EoFF, a lot of things happened in my life, and then I came back to EoFF.

Nowadays; I still dislike a lot of things, I'm still incredibly insecure, but 90% of the time I can't be arsed with arguing with someone over the internet anymore. I'd say I'm a little more confident though, which was likely a factor in achieving one of my career goals.

[Slothy]

I was an accountant. It was awful.

[sinuosity]

Just wanted to chime in and say that the responses in this thread are really fascinating! Particularly the ones from people that have experienced enormous lifestyle changes in that period. It's also been an interesting reminder of how unpleasant life was when one was a teenager!

I knew EOFF existed, and I lurked a bit, but I was pretty invested my circle of friends at the time. I was a very childish 18 year old. I suppose most 18 year olds are. I was basically terrified of girls, but thankfully that rapidly changed within a couple of years. I don't really know what to say, I think I was essentially a child up until about 20, and then it's really only in the last few years that I've become a truly rounded person. But every few years I tend to look back and think "Wow, I was an idiot a few years ago", so maybe that's a bit naive.

[Vasher]

10 years ago I was not too dissimilar. I was committed to my wife and son, only 2 less kids, 1 fewer dogs. However, very frugal when it came to autos, frivolous when it came to the boys "fashion", still having friends over for UFC/Boxing, maybe a little less hairy, and a whole lot more "gym rat".

You'd have to go back at least 13 years for the major milestone (to this very month). I had just found out that my gf (now wife) was pregnant. Huge moment. I knew I was ready. Doubt and fear never entered my mind. I still remember how afraid she was when she told me. She even said she would "*" (I can't bring myself to say the word) if I wanted her to (she said this while crying, she was so "fragile" then, yet somehow still confident, very strong woman now). When I told her that I wanted her to keep our baby, the joy and happiness she expressed really matched my own feelings. It was that moment that I went from being a "boy", to earning my "Man Card".


So, "Jack Ass" to "devoted husband and father". Pretty major change, IMHO.

That's such a nice story :-)


The story ends well, but her fear of what I might do (as in leave her), or ask of her is really "telling". That moment is engrained in my mind, the result of my immaturity in our onset. However, at that point, we'd been together for 3 years, living together for nearly a year. For her to be so upset, she must have had doubts in my commitment to her, still unsure of my intentions. I was a complete jerk (early on), but she "fought" for me/us (figuratively and literally, her vs HS ex). To think that I nearly screwed it all up, what we have now, then, everything in between, it crushes me. Thank God my dumb ass was able to recognize what I had before it was too late.

Anyhow, it helps me to stay mindful, a whole lot of "magic" does not make up for a little bit of "asshole".

[FFNut]

I already said who I was ten years ago, but I will go back farther to high school. In high school I think was where I may have peaked in popularity. I was a star athlete who was on his way to the big leagues. Because of it I was immature and didn't know how to handle the local fame very well. What hung TV and hearing people talk about you was very odd and I didn't deal with it well at all. At 16 I was dealing with turning on the TV one day and hearing a sportscaster talk about how I may have blown a game due to taking a bad penalty one day to praising me the next for a hit I through in the first period of a game that we won. I had any girl I wanted due to my celebrity status and had friends that pushed questionable things towards me. I was drunk all the time and was into drugs a lot. Never had to pay for anything, and if that sounds great you are wrong. After a torn ACL and my career came to an end it was a lot to take in with people leaving me left right and center. It was to much for a 19 year old to deal with. However it made me stronger and showed me who my real friends were so I am glad it happened, I always wondered what it would have been like to not be the guy in high school who everyone wanted to be around.

[Night Fury]

Ten years ago I was 13 years old and painfully shy. I was doing brilliantly at school though - I remember actually excelling in science at this time, especially with biology! Funny because I'd now say science is my weakest subject even though I find it very interesting. I was still involved with dog showing and handling, but leaning more towards getting out of it.

I was constantly drawing and painting - something I stopped doing for a long time but have come right back into! I was like most 13 year old girls, very concerned about my appearance and what people thought of me! I think I had just started wearing make up. Oh boy haha! If I could give myself one piece of advice now, it would have been to just care less, keep my head down in school, and really give my best to everything and not be pressured into slacking off to look 'cool' (I never ended up being one of the cool kids, and maybe I could have pursued science more than I ever did!)

[Christmas]

Get a load of the boomers and their stories. Someone need to archive this.