Previous POTW Winner: One Year's Time

[Penatrait]

How has your life changed since one year ago? Is there anything good or bad you distinctly remember happening about one year ago? Has anything changed? Are you happy for those changes?

Along with that, what do you think will happen over the next year? What do you hope to have accomplished by February 2014? Any resolutions this year?



Spawned because of how much I hated life precisely a year ago, I can't get over how much better I feel this time around. I distinctly remembering wanting it to be one year from then at that time, and am so thankful to have gotten to that point now. I think I have grown as a person, however not as much as I would have liked to.

By February '14, I hope to have a good co-op placement in a field I am interested in and have been studying. That can only come with good discipline over the next two semesters at school, which has started off great. Just gotta keep it up! As far as resolutions go, I want to make decisions based on long-term planning, and not impulsively or irrationally.

Happy 2013 every body!

[⊗Slenderman⊗]

I managed to get over an anxiety disorder around last year. Not a lot happened, aside from that.

As for the future- I enjoy life more than I used to; I'm fine with whatever comes my way. Perhaps in a year things will be better than now- or maybe they'll be worse. Either way, it's going to come, and when it does, I (for once) might just be ready for it.

[Leaf Storm]

At this point last year, I was pretty optimistic about my future. But family issues were starting, and I was sinking into a black hole that was difficult to go. I felt that 2012 was going to be a repeat of 2009, my worst year. Going towards today, I had trouble keeping friendships. Friends kept coming and going and I wasn't sure *who* was my best friend. Until the end of last year I realized one person stood by me, and I find that amazing.

I also returned to my old college right after I graduated from my other college in San Diego. I hated that school when I was young, now today I feel optimistic about it. I even met three online people irl, including Pinkie-Dawn, so things were going for the better. :)

My goal this year...is to read more books. I haven't read a good book (rather than textbooks lol). But I have three classes that assigned novel reports, so I'll be reading three novels this semester. Another goal is to meet quilzel for the first time irl. At the moment we're discussing plans to meet up in May, but it's tentative at the moment, but I'm pretty sure it'll happen. I don't see anything preventing that (for now). :P

[sammi-san]

To be honest, hardly anything has changed for me this past year. Other than having to go to the doctor a lot and having to pay the bills for it.

Gotta love a stagnant life, huh?

I don't have any goals for the next year.The only reason my life is stagnant is because I don't do anything about it. I'm kind of okay with it for now.
Guess I am going to get a promotion at work which will slightly change how things go there. But I've basically been doing the job of an assistant manager anyway so it's not too different. The more important part is getting a raise!

[Sweets Witch]

In the span of last year I managed to establish a decent enough life for myself, but I have no clue what I wanna do in the next year. Maybe learn how to play a sport or something. Swimming. Something athletic.

[Insomniac]

I was an idiot last year. I will keep thinking this every year, too. I'm just always a stupid idiot, I guess.

I noticed I have become a little more obnoxious and confident (weird combination) though.

[Laugh]

A year ago, I was mean. Meaner than mean. I was the meanest person you'll ever meet. Now, I've changed quite a lot.

[Curtis talli]

Not really much has changed to me since last year..I'm still that push-over person I was last year.

[Caelus]

A year ago I was still trying to figure a lot of things out and I never felt good about myself. I was trying to fix my social anxiety by going to basketball games, soccer games, and by trying to get more involved with people.

I then went through football season and I think I learned a lot from my last year of football; I got my head coach to thank for that. It made me a lot tougher mentally and now things don't bother me as much as they used to.

I don't know at all where my life will lead me a year from now. All I know is that I'm still working out and I'm going to college. Hopefully by then I at least get a job.

[Toshiro.]

Nothing at all. I'm still the same person I was a year ago, which isn't something I am happy about. I was hoping to change for the better, but oh well.

Hopefully this time next year that will happen. I want to change and be happier than I have been in the past few years.

[Drakow]

Well I have a career now which really is the big difference between now and a year back. I've also done a lot of soul searching to try and better myself as an individual and I think that's worked out pretty well for me too, in comparison to what I was like a year or so ago.

[Skylands]

I have become less dependent on my parents, got a job, and improved in school. I view this as a positive aspect of my life, it means I am growing up.

In 2014, I don't expect too much to change other than I will be attending college and possibly pick up on a co-op or internship opportunity.

[Broken_Arrow]

hmm,one year ago! i didn't feel as strong as i feel now. there are things changed for better and others might be for bad but i'm who i am still.....hope later will be greater though .

[Aeon]

Radically on a personal level. My sense of identity had changed almost completely since a year ago (for both better and worse.) I have improved overall, but I feel that I have much left to finish.

[Kura]

A lot has changed for me. I moved countries, started my career, found independence, found a great place and a great guy and great new friends :3

I look forward to this year, furthering my careers, relationship, and digging deep and improving myself every day :3

[Shining Raichu]

Oh my God yes, a lot has changed in the last year. Pretty much all of it has happened since October, but regardless here's a little comparison list.

January 2012:
- I had exactly two friends that I hung out with on any kind of regular basis.
- I had a part-time job where I was guaranteed only 21 hours a week.
- I spent any time not at work either at the movies or shopping with one of my two friends, or sitting right here in this chair.
- I was a closeted gay guy with no confidence and no prospect of ever dating anybody.
- I was living at home with no plans and no hope of getting out.

January 2013
- I've found a whole new group of friends (all of whom love Pokemon by the way)
- In two weeks time we're going to start looking for a place to live together.
- I'm out of the closet completely.
- In a few weeks I'm starting a full-time 38 hour job as the assistant manager of a neighbouring store which will take my weekly earnings from around $390 a week to $700 a week.
- I'm pretty much never home because I'm always out seeing my future roommates or my other friends.
- I'm dating a 20 year old guy named Jesse.

So yeah... life is seriously looking up!

By February 2014, I hope to have accomplished the following things:

- Finish the work I started on my body 6 years ago. I already lost all the weight I need to back then and haven't been fat for a very long time, but I need to actually follow through and get somewhat fit. You know, with abs and ****.
- Have a boyfriend
- Save a ton more money than I already have (because who doesn't need more money?)
- Have had more life experiences than I have had in the last four years combined.
- Learn to be completely self-sufficient and independent.

[Patchisou Yutohru]

Let's see. This time last year, I didn't have a job. I didn't have a car. I wasn't really all that happy. I didn't have much contact with people. I stayed in the house most of the time. I didn't have any credit. I felt like I was trapped, in a way. And I was dependent on my father.

Now, I don't consider any of that to be things that I would say now. My life isn't as ideal yet. By this time next year, I hope to be on my own completely, however. More focused on finishing school (which is something that I keep putting off and not taking as seriously as I should), and more dedicated to what I want to be and maybe be in a relationship.

[Forever]

I graduated uni, decided I'm going back for a photography course, um, purchased B2W2, started my goal to get somewhat into Smogon and we got a PS server? idk 2012 sucked. There's more but idc to remember.

In the next year I really don't care what else happens other than having Ole and having a DSLR, and then earning money from that. :)

[Bloodex]

Wow, now that you mentioned it, the past year sucked for me. All of it was college prep, which was annoying as hell. I'll admit, a few nice moments happened, but nothing that sticks out. Then again, I have terrible memory.

As for what I want to happen by February 2014, get into college for one. I spent all of 2012 working on getting there, so if I don't, I'll be kinda pissed. Aside from that, I don't really know. I've already tried the things I wanted to do. I'll just go with the flow, yo.

[Elendil]

Went from employed to unemployed, had to put my dream on hold cause of it, failed to pick up numerous hits from girls. Yeah that last year needs to be wiped out, but life doesn't give do overs unfortunately...

[Corvidae]

The last year was eventful.

I befriended a guy named Karl around September. Stuff didn't start getting interesting until around this time last year though. We were pretty close and we did this tag-team kind of thing on deviantART for fun. But then I started getting worried about myself - I've always perceived that something was wrong with me and was sick of this "you're just different" ******** from my parents, since I knew that not everyone's going to just see me in that way.

I found out later that Karl had AS, which made me worry about myself, since I saw a lot of similarities between him and I, so I kinda felt shameful. Eventually I sought the assistance of his mother, who was more than happy to expose me to the ASD subculture, and went and helped me get tested. I think that's the only beneficial thing she's really done for me.

After receiving the results, I was pretty depressed - positive. I didn't really know what to make of them. His mom told me that I had to hold myself back, I had to go to these seminars, I essentially had to become a part of this subculture, or else I would never be able to reach my full potential. At first I listened, but I didn't really do anything, since I didn't really see the benefit of attending seminars that concern things that I have already accomplished (such as learning to drive, getting a job, doing well in school).

However, after a while it became clear she was trying to impose limits on me and treat me like I was disabled, even though I had accomplished so much. I started to rebel against her, especially after she said some really dumb stuff ("You can't like Roller Coasters, you have autism!"). The tipping point between me and her was when I told him that he should learn how to drive, and she ripped the phone from his hands, and yelled at me because he's too "autistic" to learn how to drive, even though he just had mild aspergers and had explained to me that he was hesitant because he wasn't sure what to expect (and yes, having a friend help you out can help resolve that).

The relationship between me and Karl eventually died as well. He started to do nothing, and his stagnation worried me. However, he was an arrogant ******* about it, and would say that I was living my life wrong because I was "stressing myself out too much". I knew he was full of ****, but it didn't matter. I still tried to help him, until I met this guy named Kyle at the end of September. Kyle is blind but he's taking a ton of classes in college and has accomplished so much despite his much more impending disability. It wasn't even though the difference between the two that really destroyed it though.

A few weeks before I finally cut ties with Karl, I told him about Kyle, about how smart he is and stuff like that, and how I think Karl might like him a lot. Karl responded "Oh, I wouldn't like him".
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because he couldn't play the same games that I do".

I don't care what your problem is, if you're that shallow, if you're with friends for solely that reason, you're not worth my time.

In a drunken spurt, I called him out for his pansy-ass behaviour, and told him just how much of a loser he is. I told him that when his parents die that he will have nothing, nothing to put himself forward. And he told me "Well I hope the same for you". Would have actually had weight if I didn't actually define myself around my disabilities...

And now I'm in a bit of a weird maelstrom with Kyle. He's a nice guy but feels. You know. I don't think the fallout from anything that happens with him will be nearly as bad because unlike Karl, Kyle has a personality that's above the consistency of cardboard.

I think what I've learned is that no matter what your problems are, you define your own limitations. It's one thing to ask for help, it's another to incapacitate yourself. I also learned I absolutely loathe the subculture of parents with autistic children, because many of them are unfortunately like Karl's mom. Guess what? My parents had to deal with it too but they aren't enabling losers.

[Wind Heart]

In 2012, I don't know if I should going social on internet or not.
In 2013, I have joined Pokecommunity as a starting point (despite the fact that I joined 2 weeks before 2013), and I've found new friends.
I hope in 2014, I'll befriend everyone and make everybody happy and having a great life.

[MidnightShine]

A year ago, I was as nervous as a erm... idk what to say :P I had an important exam, thank goodness I got good results!

Also, I joined PC, duhh but it was kind of a dumb mistake, I joined on Justin B's birthday, just my luck. I was such a noob back then, but that old me has disappeared, this is the new me you're seeing, better *maybe not* than ever!

[GolurkIsDaBomb]

Oh god a year ago. Back in February 2012 I was a lot different. I was a lot more insecure and my life just felt very confusing at that point, and I wasn't sure who I was as a person. I worried a lot too, and kept everything inside.

Now I like to think I'm a nicer person than I was - though I'm still working on that. I've figured some things out and feel less scared to just be me (although I'm still figuring out who I am). I've also taken some steps to fix bad habits in my life, which I'm happy about. I've started opening up a bit - even if it is in weird bursts. XD

In one year, I just hope I'm not crushed by AP class work etc. I also hope I'll be more sure of myself, and fix a lot of my flaws/accomplish long term goals I've set for myself.

[AWsquared]

The biggest thing that happened to me since February 2012, was that I finally got my high school diploma and was considered a graduate. Back in May of 2011, I was supposed to graduate from high school, but because of one class , my American Issues, that I failed, I could graduate with my class. In order to actually get my diploma I had to take something called a correspondence course. This course was a set of five lessons all which had questions I had to answers in essay style of at least 100 words. In order to answer some I had to read through a old Ameican History book and find where they were and others I had to use critical thinking to answer. So I spent my summer doing that course. I finished around October, mainly due to some slacking off, but also cause it was long. So after that, I turned it back in to the school's learning consultant , who assigned me the course in the first place, so she can send it over to the grading instructor. I could of been finished with it in 2011, however the instructor sent it back cause my writing was too illegible for him to read and so he could only grade part of it, which I got a C. There was also an entire lesson I forgot to finish. Therefore, I had to re-write my answers , complete that last lesson ,and send it back. So I spent most of 2012 doing that. I put it off several times through out the year cause things like Pokecommunity and anticapting B2W2 distracted me, but finally got it done around the end of September. It took me to the early October to finally turn in the finished product. A few weeks later, I got the paper back and fortunately, the rest of the course I got an A. So then I scheduled an exam. I believe October 17, was the day of my exam. I was nervous and tired but made it through. Then on November 6, I finally got my diploma in the mail and became a high school graduate after almost 2 years. But other than that, my 2012 was a normal year.

By February 2014, I hope to slack off less and be more organized. I have to have a decent job and to be in college taking classes and majoring in whatever fits me the most. Right now I hope to take more art classes and become a better artist. It's kind of sad how all of my high school classmates will be ending their 2nd year of college and starting their 3rd by the time I start my 1st year. That's one thing I regret doing is not graduating till a year and a half after my class and not being able to experience college at the same time as them. I hope by 2014, I can be settled into a good school and have a good job and have some idea of what I'm doing in the future.