How Has Time Changed You?

[Naamah D.]

I’ve been on this forum for 12 years and thinking back, I’ve grown a lot. I used to have a very Mallgoth clothing style and was into My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. These days I dress a more girly but wear band tees and Blackcraft merch every now and then. I’m not as obsessive about Neopets and I don’t care what other people think about me.

How has time changed you from a decade ago?

[Duskitty]

It's nice to see some long-time forumers are still hanging around! In about four months, my TDNF account will be 10 years old.

I feel I've changed drastically from the twelve-year-old who made an account here ten years ago, to the point where listing all the differences could fill an entire book.
I'll just note the similarities instead: still obsessed with cats and Xweetoks. Some things never change lol

 

Edit: I just remembered that when I was twelve, I hated the colour pink with every fiber of my being... now liking pink is a major aspect of my personality

[Duma]

8 hours ago, Duskitty said:

Edit: I just remembered that when I was twelve, I hated the colour pink with every fiber of my being... now liking pink is a major aspect of my personality

LOL! There is hope for me yet! I still dislike pink although it's not as bad anymore as about a decade ago. I really hated pink as well. Now it depends, I will sometimes consider something pink pretty. So for now it's still in the neutral zone.

I joined TDNF August 2, 2013 so that's almost a decade for me too. Neopets itself I joined in the year 2000 or early 2001, my current main is from 2001. I have changed a lot last decade though! Bought a house, living independently without anyone telling me what to do or how to do something. I used to just do whatever made someone else happy instead of myself. Now I will still try to make other people happy but not if it makes myself unhappy. I have always been an optimist though!

Also, about a year ago I've cut and donated my long hair and also started to wear a bit more clothes with colors instead of just black. I still wear a lot of black and I still like gothic things (pictures, music, clothes, style). And I got my eyes lasered a few months back. Guess I made quite a few changes in my appearance this last year.

I also have cats for four years now! I didn't have my two cuddle bugs that I love so very very much a decade ago!

[Aquamentis12]

So, apparently I joined TDNF on May 22, 2012.... Which means I missed my 10 year anniversary just a little before my 41st birthday. LMAO

Yep, I'm practically a fossil now, compared to many users. XD So, I've been playing Neopets since November 20, 2003. Man, the first guild I actually joined, OPON, aka, Older People On Neopets. It was probably about 16 years ago now. Back then in my 20s, I was one of the youngest members. It started as a group on the neoboards, solving the Mystery Pic and Lenny Conundrum, and eventually became a guild. Mainly because people were leaching off of the work people involved with the thread were doing trying to solve those two parts of the site.

It took maybe a month or so before I was officially invited to join them. Had a few blow-outs, but that happens. At one point, during one of several of my hiatuses from the site in general. Some kind of major schism had happened and the guild literally split into two.

Recently, well, within the last 6 years or so. We got back together, not that there are many of us left active from either guild. There are only a couple of us active, and I'm probably the most active right now.

But in the last 10 years... I've learned a bit. I remember my application to join TDN Staff. Did my best and got in on my first try. I miss Crimson, Lamppost, and some of the other TDN Staffers who aren't staffers anymore.

I still have my battle application "essay question" saved. lol You never know when it might be useful in practical applications, but it actually hasn't been. I saved it because I felt I did a good job answering the points I needed to in it. XD I'd been coming up with budget-battling sets since LONG before my application here. Not just for myself, but for guildmates, friends and random people on the neoboards. Or on the old IDB Battlepedia site. (That apparently merged with Neoitems). That used to be a stand-alone site and I wanted to join them, before whatever cataclysm happened that trashed their server. There are still math things in the battledome I'm not 10,000% clear on, and TNT likes to throw strange monkey-wrenches at us with some of their new weaponry. But I'm a lot better with determining what an item does in battle than I was when I first signed up here. Crimson, Lamppost, and pretty much everybody on-staff were good teachers. Whether how to determine stats in battle, or how to create entries for new items, etc.

As for how I've changed? I'd say, that in recent years, I'm getting a little more cynical. MIGHT be my old age. lol Kidding.   Probably hold-over stress from the pandemic though.

I'm still living in the same place since the year after my dad passed away. No dog, struggling with art and still a bit in life. But also still trying to keep a positive attitude about things. Helping my friends and people where I can when i see 'em down.

My niece just graduated high school this past June 1st. In fact, her graduation party is this-coming Saturday. I couldn't be prouder of her for making it through the hell that is public school. Same school district I graduated from 22 years ago. lol So I know how it can be.

My nephew just saved up enough chore money to buy himself some (He)X-box console. Not sure which one, but it came with some games. Not sure if he got it used or what. But, he's only 12. So, the fact he was able to do enough extra chores (doesn't get paid for his regular chores), and save that money up to buy something BIG he wanted? You bet I'm proud of him there, even if I'm (obviously) not a fan of that line of consoles. He'll be 13 in September.

I've made some good friends, lost a couple for whatever reason. I don't tend to be the one who decides to part ways. it's frustrating when they do and don't tell me why. Had a couple crushes, none panned out, but oh well.

It's been, Life. Not ideal by ANY stretch of the imagination, but, Life seldom is for most people. I'll just keep going and see what Life has in store for me. Hopefully a brighter patch for a span. That would be a nice change of pace. 

It's good to see we still have some long-time members still here. Duma, and Namaah and Duskitty of course! Since you guys started/commented on this thread! XD

Of course, long-time members, ya gotta think the staff who've been here MUCH longer than Duma or me. Like Hrtbrk, Mouseykins, and Ian for example! They probably have done more work than most of the other staffers combined over the many years TDN has been around! Dunno who all has been here the longest. But without them, TDN wouldn't exist!

Gotta go to bed, later everyone.

[Mouseykins]

For one, I no longer care if my house is clean when company comes for a visit. Despite past instances of my lack of cleanliness being used against me. I still clean and try to have things tidy, but I no longer care and won't stay up all night just to make everything presentable. When I'm tired, I just crash. We have a small house and with 5 of us, a big dog and a bird, things get messy quick. Kids don't really pick up after themselves unless they're motivated enough.

My husband and I started our own business this past year. It's just a small trucking company and has been enough to pay our bills and catch up on things. We'd be doing better if it wasn't for the constant repairs on our highway truck. Something always seems to go wrong each month that puts us a bit short of our contract.

I think the biggest thing for me is I figured out what my passion is and what I want to do with my life career wise. It's just getting into a position that's a bit difficult. I'd like to work as a teacher, but unfortunately cannot afford the education for that right now. I'm going to work as an Educational Assistant and help the younger kids who are struggling with their learning or have learning disabilities like my daughter.

[Musical_Shoyru]

On 7/26/2022 at 7:22 AM, Duskitty said:

It's nice to see some long-time forumers are still hanging around! In about four months, my TDNF account will be 10 years old.

I feel I've changed drastically from the twelve-year-old who made an account here ten years ago, to the point where listing all the differences could fill an entire book.
I'll just note the similarities instead: still obsessed with cats and Xweetoks. Some things never change lol

 

Edit: I just remembered that when I was twelve, I hated the colour pink with every fiber of my being... now liking pink is a major aspect of my personality

I haven't liked pink for awhile and probably never really will! I'll wear it and use it, but it's my least favorite color. LOL

As far as changed, I'm just tired. I wouldn't say hopeless, but definitely just tired of bad things happening in life. It's so exhausting to put so much effort out there to be a good person or do things for people to be met with rudeness. For whatever reason I still do it, but I found that it just seems to hurt more than it use to. I always see quotes about people saying "you get use to people hurting you" and I don't think that's entirely true, you might get use to the action happening or expect it at times, but you never get "use" to the hurt, it really honestly just hurts more each time. I don't mean that to be depressive, but just something that's been a sad fact in my life recently.

On the other hand through feeling that way I've been trying to just figure out things in my own life, trying to figure out what makes ME happy and what's best for ME. (Not like in a selfish way) It's not always easy either! I tend to put a lot of my needs on the side burner, especially during my last relationship. So I've definitely been trying to find the balance between still being a kind person to people, but also thinking about myself.

[Mouseykins]

3 hours ago, Musical_Shoyru said:

As far as changed, I'm just tired. I wouldn't say hopeless, but definitely just tired of bad things happening in life.

Oh my gosh! I feel this so much lately! Over the last 6 years things just haven't been working out the way they're supposed to and it's been a struggle sometimes to get through all the hurdles being thrown at me. Our life has changed majorly as a result and my husband has been forced to work away from home, so he's missing all the fun stuff we do.

We got a brand new dishwasher and it's only been installed for a month. Already it's broken and unusable. I've been waiting 2 weeks for a repair technician and now with the long weekend I'll be waiting until next week. Like what are the chances a brand new major appliance is going to stop working almost immediately afterwards.

After everything, I'm like ok what's next?

[Aquamentis12]

On 7/27/2022 at 2:55 PM, Musical_Shoyru said:

I haven't liked pink for awhile and probably never really will! I'll wear it and use it, but it's my least favorite color. LOL

As far as changed, I'm just tired. I wouldn't say hopeless, but definitely just tired of bad things happening in life. It's so exhausting to put so much effort out there to be a good person or do things for people to be met with rudeness. For whatever reason I still do it, but I found that it just seems to hurt more than it use to. I always see quotes about people saying "you get use to people hurting you" and I don't think that's entirely true, you might get use to the action happening or expect it at times, but you never get "use" to the hurt, it really honestly just hurts more each time. I don't mean that to be depressive, but just something that's been a sad fact in my life recently.

On the other hand through feeling that way I've been trying to just figure out things in my own life, trying to figure out what makes ME happy and what's best for ME. (Not like in a selfish way) It's not always easy either! I tend to put a lot of my needs on the side burner, especially during my last relationship. So I've definitely been trying to find the balance between still being a kind person to people, but also thinking about myself.

Pink, one of the best flavors for cotton candy! lol

Ah tired, yeah. That's what I'm feeling too. A little closer to not hopeless, but let's say, less hopeful, about the future the older I get, the longer things feel stagnant. Unfortunately, bad things happen, and there's not always things we can do about them. No matter HOW much we WISH we could.

You know, whomever said you "get used to rudeness", doesn't "get" it. No disrespect to them, but a good and kind person who tries not to be rude, will never "get used" to someone being rude to them. It's just a cliche that people who don't care about rude behavior use to try and help those who are impacted by it. That's MY opinion on it. I could be wrong, it's been known to happen before.

I almost ALWAYS think of others first. Not in a door-mat way, just a thoughtful one. I remember once when I was a little kid, probably not even 10. I had been taught to open and hold the door for others. And this one lady starts pitching an angry fit just because I happen to be a boy and she didn't need any male holding the door for her. This was a bloody ADULT! I could go closer to home, but I think I'd hit the post-character limit if I started listing off examples of abject rudeness from my sister.

The thing is, if I'M rude or short with someone, it bothers me. Not just for a little while either. So, I tend to be diplomatic at worst, and polite at best. Get me really angry, and I'll still "hold back" on the language. There are a few words/phrases I try hard to NEVER utter. Whether I find them that vulgar or simply that disrespectful in general.

So, do what will keep you feeling comfortable and TRUE to YOURSELF. As my mom would say, "Tend your own fire(s) first." I tend to neglect mine a little, in lieu of helping others, but that's a choice and sometimes there are consequences to it.

But that's the kind of person I am.

So yeah. find what works for you, and go with that. Be flexible, but not too flexible. Wouldn't want to be pushed into bending over backwards for someone you don't want to really go that far for. but find your range of reactions and what you're willing to accept for YOUR self-health, and work as much within that as you can. Hopefully that will help lessen the impact of rudeness and negative things on you.

You can't control other people. Their rudeness is on them even if they don't consider it rude. It's OK to get mad or simmer for awhile, or even when you think of what they said or did. But, DON'T let those actions, words, or emotions control you and KEEP you down.

Hopefully that will make some sense to you. That's stuff from my own experience of trying to figure out what works for me. I hope at least some of it helps.

[Naamah D.]

On 7/26/2022 at 3:55 PM, Duma said:

LOL! There is hope for me yet! I still dislike pink although it's not as bad anymore as about a decade ago. I really hated pink as well. Now it depends, I will sometimes consider something pink pretty. So for now it's still in the neutral zone.

I joined TDNF August 2, 2013 so that's almost a decade for me too. Neopets itself I joined in the year 2000 or early 2001, my current main is from 2001. I have changed a lot last decade though! Bought a house, living independently without anyone telling me what to do or how to do something. I used to just do whatever made someone else happy instead of myself. Now I will still try to make other people happy but not if it makes myself unhappy. I have always been an optimist though!

Also, about a year ago I've cut and donated my long hair and also started to wear a bit more clothes with colors instead of just black. I still wear a lot of black and I still like gothic things (pictures, music, clothes, style). And I got my eyes lasered a few months back. Guess I made quite a few changes in my appearance this last year.

I also have cats for four years now! I didn't have my two cuddle bugs that I love so very very much a decade ago!

Congrats on living independently! I’m preparing for my first apartment. It’s going to be nice for me to have my own place where I can just be myself and not have to please other people.