In A Few Short Years...

Even at 17, I've learnt to just accept a lot of facts of life. I've learnt to accept death, that the world isn't such a nice place. I've learnt that sometimes the people you trust the most will betray you, that love hurts just as much as it feels awesome. I've become apathetic towards a lot of arguments, realising there's hardly any point in pinning people as good or bad in debates that are ultimately pointless. My friends sometimes tell me I'm just a very accepting person. Maybe I am, I dunno.

But if there's one thing that tugs at my heartstrings, one thing that I find difficult to let go, it is how things change.

It makes me sad sometimes, nostalgic even, when I walk down the sidewalk of my neighbourhood. It's been my home for eight years, and a lot has happened in all those eight years. I look at what used to be our makeshift kickball field. It's empty now with some bushes planted on top of it by the apartment management for one reason or the other. On the days that the park isn't empty there are children I don't recognise. I didn't even notice as my friend count in this neighbourhood slowly depleted until it was just me. Those days I had just playing kickball with our friend's volleyball were gone. Those days of dodgeball, or manhunt, or even just going over to a friend's to play Halo 3. Those days are gone forever and I just barely noticed as they passed.

There were a lot of things I took for granted as a kid. I never once thought that in just a few short years no one would know what Animaniacs are, or Animorphs, or Doug, or even what a Dreamcast was. Blockbuster Video is closed now, replaced with a Chipotle. I can't find any arcades anymore. The large woods across the street have become more apartments. Driving seemed eons away, and here I am "eons" later, learning how to drive.

I guess it saddens me to think that in another eight years, I'll look back at things I like now and feel the same way. Even My Little Pony will be lost with time. I hope I'm wrong and that the brony fandom sustains itself for many, many years, but that's just wishful thinking. I'll look back at my time playing Minecraft and wonder what happened to my favourite servers. I'll miss all my friends in high school who are moving away for college. Things will be different. After all, all good stories have an end.

But that doesn't mean there isn't a new beginning. I wonder what life will have in store for me as I go into college next year.

But, as Calvin and Hobbes taught me (geez, no one even remembers what that is either), we spend too much time always looking at what's just ahead of us rather than stopping and enjoying where we are. And that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna savour every moment I have with you guys, watching My Little Pony, reading fanfiction, looking at pony art. Because right now, I do have the brony fandom, and I know not to take it for granted like I did so many other things.

 

Most of the writing is referring to people I know around at school, so the same age group or so. Most of them don't know what that stuff is anymore. I have to wonder if I'm the only one who remembered their silly childhood adventures around here.

Oh yeah a Dreamcast was Sega's last console before Sony knocked them outta the console business.