NationStates Jolt Archive

For those posters who've been on NS for a year or so (I'm targeting you, because those of you still around are the first posters I interacted with here)...what have you accomplished in that time? What changes have you gone through? What things would you like to celebrate, avoid, discuss...and of course, to make it all relevant...what role has NS played in your real life growth/stunting?

And of course, those of you 'younger' than 1 NS year old, feel free to contribute as well.

I don't hate my ex quite as much as I used too... :p

Accomplished? Ha! You're asking it on a forum wherein many posters have admitted that they have no life and that they've deliberately squandered precious time on here because they've seeked to avoid work/school/the harshness that is reality....

Through a combination of student loans, hardwork, and stinginess I have managed to increase my bank account while plunging further into debt.
This amuses me, and I'll probably continue to find it funny up until I graduate and have to fake my own death to escape my creditors.

I don't hate my ex quite as much as I used too... :p
That's quite the improvement then! I remember how much you loathed her...

Let's see...

I made a nice little profit selling my house, moved to the West coast, then back to the East coast, drove through 20 something states and saw lots of beautiful land and some very interesting "locals".

NS contributed by providing entertainment along the way. I've also made a couple of real life friends from NS.

as of Friday, I am officially debt free :D

not much else.

Actually, the past year has probably been the one year in my life that i actually felt that i've achieved things in. First of all: passed IB, that was one of the main goals in my life seeing as my older sisters had already passed it years before, and if I didn't, well you know... Then of course there was that wonderful boyfriend that I got... another thing was that I started uni & and with doing so, managed to move out of my parents house (ohh yeah!!!:D ). Ok, so those are the main ones, but how could i forget, i started playing NS (only resently though).

Accomplished? Ha! You're asking it on a forum wherein many posters have admitted that they have no life and that they've deliberately squandered precious time on here because they've seeked to avoid work/school/the harshness that is reality....
Oh, NS is definitely filler time for me right now, allowing me to endure a mind-deadening job, but I still don't feel that this year and a half has been wasted. NS has allowed me to flesh out my beliefs and philosophies, allowed me to reexamine my relationships with others, and given me new focus in my life. One so rarely has the luxury of spending time thinking and discussing these things in the rush of everyday living. I've absolutely grown during this time, and NS has had a lot to do with it. I look at this period as a necessary time of reflection/meditation/problem solving and I'm thankful I had this opportunity...because I suspect there will not be many such opportunities in my future to spend on these topics.

as of Friday, I am officially debt free :D

not much else.
That's pretty damn exciting if you ask me...I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be free of debt...

That's pretty damn exciting if you ask me...I sometimes wonder if I'll ever be free of debt...
meh, I will be in debt again 6 months from now I am sure. We are going to buy a house. :p

Being debt free I got some crazy ideas over the weekend (like going to get a new car) but self control prevailed, I am still driving my 1992 Jeep.

I have a car that's broke that I can sell though, I think I might sell it and see if I can get a used car maybe break even that way......even broke it's worth about 1500, I could get a used car for that. ;)

I managed to negotiate a better compensation from the co I do work for. Also earned several bonuses that justified what I asked for and got. I'm now negotiating managing a new office this co opened up and asked me to run.
I bought a new house close to this office- its bigger and has far more property than I have now-the builder is near completion. I sold the house I'm in now for twice what I paid for it 4 yrs ago. So-I'll pay off all outstanding bills and start in a new house with a mortgage $100,000.00 less than I have now. Both contracts are in attorney review.
My kids continue to flourish, my wife is happy. A million details are left to be dealt with, but I survived another year.

I was able to take my Star Wars Galaxies character to level 58 before being utterly pissed by the New Game "Enhancements" and leaving in disgust.

I also managed to piss a lot of dear people to me through a stupid lapse of judgement on my behalf. Totally my fault. It still saddens me :(

And I lost 5 kg! :)

I got through another year of uni...

Not much else, really.

I've gotten... less of a life.
That count :p

For those posters who've been on NS for a year or so (I'm targeting you, because those of you still around are the first posters I interacted with here)...what have you accomplished in that time? What changes have you gone through? What things would you like to celebrate, avoid, discuss...and of course, to make it all relevant...what role has NS played in your real life growth/stunting?
I've survived prostate cancer, does that count? I've also begun to eliminate my debts; should be debt-free NLT September of this year. I've begun to rebuild my relationship with my wife. I've begun writing a book. I've begun the process of getting my Ph.D. hmmm. Seems like I've "begun" a lot of things; hope I can contiune them. :)

I've survived prostate cancer, does that count? I've also begun to eliminate my debts; should be debt-free NLT September of this year. I've begun to rebuild my relationship with my wife. I've begun writing a book. I've begun the process of getting my Ph.D. hmmm. Seems like I've "begun" a lot of things; hope I can contiune them. :)


That definitely counts. :) Sounds like you have a lot to be excited about. I wish you the best.

But no more bike riding. Or should I say Bike riding while looking at girls in short shorts. ;)

That definitely counts. :) Sounds like you have a lot to be excited about. I wish you the best.

But no more bike riding. Or should I say Bike riding while looking at girls in short shorts. ;)
Hehehe! No promises on that one. ;)

One other thing I accomplished that I neglected to mention:

My older grandaugher, Callie ( pictured below ) started attending a school for "Gifted and Talented." The girl can sing like a nightingale, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her grandfather. I wrote the lyrics to a song for her, and a friend of mine is writing the music. I plan to put it up on my Website, then publicize the heck out of it, on and off the net.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6923/callie2ux.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

After quite a bit of fuss about what I was going to do professionally/academically, I've progressed well in my Masters degree, which I started in late September. In the process, however, I've incurred a fair amount of debt. Other than that, everything is much the same as it was a year ago.

Hehehe! No promises on that one. ;)

One other thing I accomplished that I neglected to mention:

My older grandaugher, Callie ( pictured below ) started attending a school for "Gifted and Talented." The girl can sing like a nightingale, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her grandfather. I wrote the lyrics to a song for her, and a friend of mine is writing the music. I plan to put it up on my Website, then publicize the heck out of it, on and off the net.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6923/callie2ux.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Hey Eutrusca- that girl is very attractive!!! Best wishes on her singing promotion!
What type of songs does she sing?

My kids continue to flourish, my wife is happy.
I seem to recall that the first time I 'met' you, you had mentioned that your wife was very unhappy with you. So this is good to hear:) Must be all the nooners!

After quite a bit of fuss about what I was going to do professionally/academically, I've progressed well in my Masters degree, which I started in late September. In the process, however, I've incurred a fair amount of debt. Other than that, everything is much the same as it was a year ago.
Debt can be paid off. You'll be well-educated for the rest of your life. Sounds like a good deal to me. :D

I've survived prostate cancer, does that count? I've also begun to eliminate my debts; should be debt-free NLT September of this year. I've begun to rebuild my relationship with my wife. I've begun writing a book. I've begun the process of getting my Ph.D. hmmm. Seems like I've "begun" a lot of things; hope I can contiune them. :)
Does that count? What a question!

I'll have been here one year on the 25th! W00t! (as this nation...)

In the past year I've mediated a war between two minor galaxies, driven several species to extinction, blown up a few random universes just to flaunt my power, brainwashed uncounted trillions into following my nefarious plans, sadistically tortured my arch-enemies in deliciously evil ways, etc. You know, the usual.

Hey Eutrusca- that girl is very attractive!!! Best wishes on her singing promotion!
What type of songs does she sing?
An incredible variety: pop, rock, C&W, Gospel, etc. Trying as hard as I can manage to divorce myself from grand-paternal pride, she's really, really good.

Thank you for the compliment. I'll pass that along to her. :)

Does that count? What a question!
Heh! Well, it's not as if I had all that much control over it! :p

I've survived prostate cancer, does that count?
I think you win the thread! :)

Congrats on that and I hope you can continue with the other stuff!

I'll have been here one year on the 25th! W00t! (as this nation...)

In the past year I've mediated a war between two minor galaxies, driven several species to extinction, blown up a few random universes just to flaunt my power, brainwashed uncounted trillions into following my nefarious plans, sadistically tortured my arch-enemies in deliciously evil ways, etc. You know, the usual.
Weren't you also promoted from ruler of the Universe to ruler of the Omniverse?

I think you win the thread! :)

Congrats on that and I hope you can continue with the other stuff!
Thank you. But like I said in the post above, it's not something I can take much personal credit for, although I've managed to keep a good mental attitude throughout. I consider that vital for good and speedy recovery from virtually any life crisis. :)

I seem to recall that the first time I 'met' you, you had mentioned that your wife was very unhappy with you. So this is good to hear:) Must be all the nooners!

Yes- there was a really rough time last year, which has smoothed and improved considerably. A good deal had to do with stress over finances. We are dealing with everything head on and in a much better place now. Things are good.

Yes- there was a really rough time last year, which has smoothed and improved considerably. A good deal had to do with stress over finances. We are dealing with everything head on and in a much better place now. Things are good.
Well that's awesome. Things are kind of in the dumps for me and my husband right now, but a big part of that is me thinking I could go on the Pill again and not suffer the hormonal insanity that prompted me to get off it in the first place...and not recognising in time that my emotional instability was seriously impairing my judgement. Nonetheless, we've been through worse, and I know that with a bit of work, we'll get through this. I figure every relationship needs a bit of renewal now and again...unfortunately, renewal usually means conflict and then resolution. I like the resolution part, but the conflict aspect makes me ill. Ah well:)

For those posters who've been on NS for a year or so (I'm targeting you, because those of you still around are the first posters I interacted with here)...what have you accomplished in that time? What changes have you gone through? What things would you like to celebrate, avoid, discuss...and of course, to make it all relevant...what role has NS played in your real life growth/stunting?

And of course, those of you 'younger' than 1 NS year old, feel free to contribute as well.

its a tough question.

in the last year i have (in rough chronilogical order) sunk into my deepest clinical depression, been on a trip to holland, belgium and germany, done uni exams and passed, gone to hospital, decided to drop out of uni, gone to amsterdam, recorded music with friends while getting high, decided to stop smoking and drinking and doing drugs at all, started working full time, lost a lot of friends, gained one great new friend, steadily gotten better and almost conquered depression, fallen in love, helped run and organise a national conference, continued to develop my product (my part of this business) so its actually worth quite a lot of money now (and takes up all my work time :rolleyes: ), successfully kept my work and social life seperate, had no social life, managed to work out what i'm good at and what i'd like to do (and am able to do) with my life (the next step is to actually start to put plans in motion), and will be meeting the girl i love tomorrow :)

all in all, quite a good year!


what part has NS played? well, NS has been a consistent social life for me, even when my RL friends seemed to abandon me and cut off contact with me. NS has helped me talk about a lot of things (i still remember posting a thread entitled "should i kill myself?" last year sometime and being touched by the majority of replies on there :) (especially from oksana (i miss her) and peechie, i think :fluffle: )), NS has kept me entertained on eveinings in alone, helped me develop my political understanding more, and has facilitated me finding my special lady-friend... so for all that: a big 'thank you NS!!' :D



as of Friday, I am officially debt free :D

not much else.
ooooh yay! :fluffle:

its a tough question.

in the last year i have (in rough chronilogical order) sunk into my deepest clinical depression, been on a trip to holland, belgium and germany, done uni exams and passed, gone to hospital, decided to drop out of uni, gone to amsterdam, recorded music with friends while getting high, decided to stop smoking and drinking and doing drugs at all, started working full time, lost a lot of friends, gained one great new friend, steadily gotten better and almost conquered depression, fallen in love, helped run and organise a national conference, continued to develop my product (my part of this business) so its actually worth quite a lot of money now (and takes up all my work time :rolleyes: ), successfully kept my work and social life seperate, had no social life, managed to work out what i'm good at and what i'd like to do (and am able to do) with my life (the next step is to actually start to put plans in motion), and will be meeting the girl i love tomorrow :)

all in all, quite a good year!


what part has NS played? well, NS has been a consistent social life for me, even when my RL friends seemed to abandon me and cut off contact with me. NS has helped me talk about a lot of things (i still remember posting a thread entitled "should i kill myself?" last year sometime and being touched by the majority of replies on there :) (especially from oksana (i miss her) and peechie, i think :fluffle: )), NS has kept me entertained on eveinings in alone, helped me develop my political understanding more, and has facilitated me finding my special lady-friend... so for all that: a big 'thank you NS!!' :D



ooooh yay! :fluffle:

:fluffle: to you PM....you are truly a wonderful guy. I'm so happy for you.

Well that's awesome. Things are kind of in the dumps for me and my husband right now, but a big part of that is me thinking I could go on the Pill again and not suffer the hormonal insanity that prompted me to get off it in the first place...and not recognising in time that my emotional instability was seriously impairing my judgement. Nonetheless, we've been through worse, and I know that with a bit of work, we'll get through this. I figure every relationship needs a bit of renewal now and again...unfortunately, renewal usually means conflict and then resolution. I like the resolution part, but the conflict aspect makes me ill. Ah well:)


I guess all healthy relationships go through rough spots.

One piece of advice I'll offer is to try to make an effort NOT to say anything you cant take back to your spouse out of anger or frustration.

I dont know your details, but keep in mind- you just returned from an awesome vacation AND its winter time- those two factors can really put a downer on people.

Another thing-When my wife says that we "have to talk" about something- I turn to stone-I hate to talk things over-especially when its in regard to a fight- I am much more willing to totally drop it and move on.
Dont demand appologies from your spouse either- all that does is increase bitterness & resentment,even if they do appologize.

what part has NS played? well, NS has been a consistent social life for me, even when my RL friends seemed to abandon me and cut off contact with me. NS has helped me talk about a lot of things (i still remember posting a thread entitled "should i kill myself?" last year sometime and being touched by the majority of replies on there :) (especially from oksana (i miss her) and peechie, i think :fluffle: )), NS has kept me entertained on eveinings in alone, helped me develop my political understanding more, and has facilitated me finding my special lady-friend... so for all that: a big 'thank you NS!!' :D
And don't forget how much our Zooke encouraged you. :fluffle:

It helps not to call their mother a ruthless, cold, cruel bitch. Even if she is.

I guess all healthy relationships go through rough spots.

One piece of advice I'll offer is to try to make an effort NOT to say anything you cant take back to your spouse out of anger or frustration. I learned this lesson the hard way. So now, if I can't be reasonable, I just clam up. It's much better that way...if I can give myself time to regain sanity, THEN we can talk.


Another thing-When my wife says that we "have to talk" about something- I turn to stone-I hate to talk things over-especially when its in regard to a fight- I am much more willing to totally drop it and move on. That really seems to be a man thing. My husband is the same, and most women I know also have this complaint about men. I tend to agonise over things until I can talk them out. If I can't talk them out, they just blow out of proportion in my mind.

Dont demand appologies from your spouse either- all that does is increase bitterness & resentment,even if they do appologize. I've learned to not take an accusatory or 'martyr' stance when dealing with our issues. Again, if I can't phrase a complaint in a reasonable or understandable fashion, I clam up and let myself calm down first. It's hard on me, because I want INSTANT gratification/purging...but that tends to be very destructive. Anywho. Today is a good day, and I get to go home to slow-cooked pork ribs and stuffed potatoes for lunch. And a couple of nooners. That always creates a good situation for a little relaxed talk.

its a tough question.

in the last year i have (in rough chronilogical order) sunk into my deepest clinical depression, been on a trip to holland, belgium and germany, done uni exams and passed, gone to hospital, decided to drop out of uni, gone to amsterdam, recorded music with friends while getting high, decided to stop smoking and drinking and doing drugs at all, started working full time, lost a lot of friends, gained one great new friend, steadily gotten better and almost conquered depression, fallen in love, helped run and organise a national conference, continued to develop my product (my part of this business) so its actually worth quite a lot of money now (and takes up all my work time :rolleyes: ), successfully kept my work and social life seperate, had no social life, managed to work out what i'm good at and what i'd like to do (and am able to do) with my life (the next step is to actually start to put plans in motion), and will be meeting the girl i love tomorrow :)

all in all, quite a good year!


what part has NS played? well, NS has been a consistent social life for me, even when my RL friends seemed to abandon me and cut off contact with me. NS has helped me talk about a lot of things (i still remember posting a thread entitled "should i kill myself?" last year sometime and being touched by the majority of replies on there :) (especially from oksana (i miss her) and peechie, i think :fluffle: )), NS has kept me entertained on eveinings in alone, helped me develop my political understanding more, and has facilitated me finding my special lady-friend... so for all that: a big 'thank you NS!!' :D




ooooh yay! :fluffle:


Glad to hear that things seem to have improved for you in all departments. I hope when you look back a year from now you see more improvement & successes.

:fluffle: to you PM....you are truly a wonderful guy. I'm so happy for you.
oh wow... thank you :P :fluffle:
*is all smiles* :P


And don't forget how much our Zooke encouraged you. :fluffle:
i know man...she was great and helped a lot in her own way :(
(i kinda try not to think about her though, if i'm being honest. i have a TG from Ricky i keep meaning to read but its about her and i keep looking at it but can't bring myself to actually read it cos i'll have to think about zooke, and feel sad all over again. ok, yes, i run away from bad emotions like that but it helps me stay on an even keel nowadays)


edit:Glad to hear that things seem to have improved for you in all departments. I hope when you look back a year from now you see more improvement & successes.
i hope so too :)
thanks :)

i think things can't really fail to get better now (ceteris paribus of course) :fluffle:

I learned this lesson the hard way. So now, if I can't be reasonable, I just clam up. It's much better that way...if I can give myself time to regain sanity, THEN we can talk.

That really seems to be a man thing. My husband is the same, and most women I know also have this complaint about men. I tend to agonise over things until I can talk them out. If I can't talk them out, they just blow out of proportion in my mind.
I've learned to not take an accusatory or 'martyr' stance when dealing with our issues. Again, if I can't phrase a complaint in a reasonable or understandable fashion, I clam up and let myself calm down first. It's hard on me, because I want INSTANT gratification/purging...but that tends to be very destructive. Anywho. Today is a good day, and I get to go home to slow-cooked pork ribs and stuffed potatoes for lunch. And a couple of nooners. That always creates a good situation for a little relaxed talk.


You can always decide that what you're at odds about just isnt worth the strain it puts on what you've built together.

You could address your husband something like this: "You remember what we fought/disagreed about?" He'll say yeah- the you can say "I dont" as you get up close and kiss his throat,ear, face and see where it leads.

Its almost never worth sticking to your guns.

edit:
i hope so too :)
thanks :)

i think things can't really fail to get better now (ceteris paribus of course) :fluffle:


Optimism can gain momentum and keep you feeling good in almost the same way depression can do the opposite. It takes more work in the beggining, but with some people,its second nature.
The rest of us have to work at it.

as of Friday, I am officially debt free :D

Not quite. ;)

You owe me fifty bucks, remember? :p (kidding!)

:fluffle: to you PM....you are truly a wonderful guy. I'm so happy for you.
Aren't I amazingly lucky?

:fluffle: for Huw - long live your happiness and our love together :)

Through a combination of student loans, hardwork, and stinginess I have managed to increase my bank account while plunging further into debt.
This amuses me, and I'll probably continue to find it funny up until I graduate and have to fake my own death to escape my creditors.
God knows if I weren't married I would have done that by now.

Capitalizing $260/mo on a stupid Student loan. :headbang:

:fluffle: to you PM....you are truly a wonderful guy. I'm so happy for you.


I'll second this, but without the fluffling. I'm sure you'll understand.

For those posters who've been on NS for a year or so (I'm targeting you, because those of you still around are the first posters I interacted with here)...what have you accomplished in that time? What changes have you gone through? What things would you like to celebrate, avoid, discuss...and of course, to make it all relevant...what role has NS played in your real life growth/stunting?

And of course, those of you 'younger' than 1 NS year old, feel free to contribute as well.

Really gotten into swinging and hotwifing. Can't say much more than that without violating NS terms of service.

Also got a really great job that allows me to travel to the UK.

Optimism can gain momentum and keep you feeling good in almost the same way depression can do the opposite. It takes more work in the beggining, but with some people,its second nature.
The rest of us have to work at it.
Aren't I amazingly lucky?

:fluffle: for Huw - long live your happiness and our love together :)

i can understand that about optimism... and i'm starting to see that in my attitudes towards things, but i can categorically say that feeling love, and being loved, and having someone to share things - thoughts, emotions, dreams... life - with has helped me immeasurably these last few months that amy and i have been together. long may our love continue, indeed! and long may i be able to help you strive for your own happiness :fluffle:

I took time out December 2004 - June 2005, and then a couple of months over autumn that year.

In that time I got over my depression, graduated, found a job, moved, and discovered the joys of having money and no mortgage or dependents. I found the time to get a driving license at last. I also made some of the best transient friends of my student years. We have all scattered after our year together, but those were sunny months we'll never forget. Today I found I have been given full membership of my professional organisation, so I have a few extra letters after my name. And my probationary period at work is coming along nicely.

I guess 2005 was the year in which my determination in spite of earlier setbacks, finally paid off. :)

In the past year?

I bought my first car (second car owned though) back in late March then trashed it a few days ago.

I'm in debt.

My bank account is extremely low.

I've been struggling, yet still moving forward through college.

Oh, and I've met the girl whom I've always wanted to meet! :D

Other than the crap going on, I'm doing just fine, and I still laugh at everything, no matter how bad it is. Should've seen the look on the woman's face in that accident. She couldn't comprehend why I was laughing over my car's damage.

Since I joined Ns?

I've moved from the frozen north to the balmy south.

I've just learned I get to go to New Zealand for awhile, and Asia after that.

I've just found work in Halifax.

It's been a good year.

I thank you all for helping me test my ideas, develp my views, and flesh out my thoughts.

In the past year I perfectioned the art of developing crushes on guys (counting only the nice guys) who either do not know of my existence or do not see me as more than a friend. I also improved my ability to turn a blind eye on the complications mentioned above. Which basically means that I would not stop pursueing the guys until they reject me officially or hit on someone else.

Therefore, I intended to write a very long rant on guys and life, but reading this just threw me a curveball:

I've survived prostate cancer, does that count? ~snip~


You know what, it hasn't been all that bad. I'm much happier than before. I'm making good progress on my grad paper. I've realized that I like and miss my parents much more than expected (and I am happy to visit them in Costa Rica in April).

Lost some weight. Stood up more to people bullying me. Became more mature. Got two great new friends. Turned 14...that's about it.