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Worst Year and Best Year

Started by Max Rockatansky, January 01, 2021, 12:22:22 AM

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Zeffy

Quote from: jmacswimmer on March 25, 2021, 12:32:37 PM
I thought I had already posted in this thread back around the time of the OP, but now that it resurfaced I see I never did.

So I'll contribute now and echo Zeffy's sentiment that 2020 was both the best & worst.

The early stages of the pandemic sent me down a dark path worrying/stressing about if things would ever be the same, but on the same token the lockdowns afforded me the chance to slow down and finally confront some things from my past that had been buried for so long I didn't even realize they were buried.  And this has allowed me to learn much about myself & why I do things the way I do (the big one being finally acknowledging to myself that although undiagnosed, I likely fall somewhere on the spectrum), and I've begun to change my relationships with my parents & my brother for the better (I later learned that he's gone on a similar soul-searching experience during the pandemic, so we now use each other as sounding boards for things we're working thru).

Quote from: Zeffy on March 25, 2021, 10:55:27 AM
It sounds weird, but the changes that happened in 2020 negatively also forced me to change in positive ways.

This is exactly how I feel - all the good that came for me in the back half of 2020 (and continuing into 2021) wouldn't have happened without the bad in the first half.  I don't think I'd be where I am now if the pandemic never happened.

Quote from: kphoger on March 25, 2021, 11:22:41 AM
Trying new things is, I think, a good idea.  New people can and will let you down now and then, but new activities are entirely up to you.

This is something I'm working to get better at as well.

I definitely can relate on the whole "finding yourself" and learning who you are thing - I've really come to learn a lot about who I am as a person, and I can see how to improve them for the better. The "old me" just pretended like those issues never existed, and the "new" me is not only aware they are part of me, but is also working to make them work with me and not against me. It's a holistic change and combining that with other aspects of my life that have changed, have really helped make a positive impact despite being a rough time.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders


formulanone

Quote from: Zeffy on March 25, 2021, 01:16:17 PM
I definitely can relate on the whole "finding yourself" and learning who you are thing - I've really come to learn a lot about who I am as a person, and I can see how to improve them for the better. The "old me" just pretended like those issues never existed, and the "new" me is not only aware they are part of me, but is also working to make them work with me and not against me. It's a holistic change and combining that with other aspects of my life that have changed, have really helped make a positive impact despite being a rough time.

Good for you, Zeffy!

Seriously, our society doesn't talk much about the ages 20-30 where you really find out what you're made of. You can find people to validate you, but you have to define it for yourself. And it's okay to change, too...we put too much pride in just being steadfast in the same things since we were kids/teens, which might be great for some people, but it's not that way for everyone (or arguably, most people). They just talk about being done with the teenage years and then assuming you're on Auto-Pilot Adulthood from then on, which probably made sense 100 years ago in smaller towns and in a less-complex world than today.

JayhawkCO

In a similar vein to the above discussion, my best year was probably 2010 where I took my first extended trip overseas alone.  Spending a month and a half traveling definitely helps you reset some things about yourself and after that trip, I was a lot more confident in myself and then took steps to become a better/more responsible person, a process that took a while.  I'd say my worst year was probably 2004 where I went through a bought of minor depression and dropped out of college.

Chris

Zeffy

Quote from: formulanone on March 25, 2021, 01:47:20 PM
Quote from: Zeffy on March 25, 2021, 01:16:17 PM
I definitely can relate on the whole "finding yourself" and learning who you are thing - I've really come to learn a lot about who I am as a person, and I can see how to improve them for the better. The "old me" just pretended like those issues never existed, and the "new" me is not only aware they are part of me, but is also working to make them work with me and not against me. It's a holistic change and combining that with other aspects of my life that have changed, have really helped make a positive impact despite being a rough time.

Good for you, Zeffy!

Seriously, our society doesn't talk much about the ages 20-30 where you really find out what you're made of. You can find people to validate you, but you have to define it for yourself. And it's okay to change, too...we put too much pride in just being steadfast in the same things since we were kids/teens, which might be great for some people, but it's not that way for everyone (or arguably, most people). They just talk about being done with the teenage years and then assuming you're on Auto-Pilot Adulthood from then on, which probably made sense 100 years ago in smaller towns and in a less-complex world than today.

Honestly, I used to be afraid of having to change, but I see now how it's your perception of having to change and how you view it as what's important. A lot of anxiety used to be related to age-related changes that I used to fear, some of which I still do have a fear component of, but nowhere near as strong as it was in the past. I think not letting it consume you is a big part, and that's something I think has helped with getting me into a better place as this year treks on.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

Roadgeekteen

God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

frankenroad

2020 was definitely a mixed bag for me.   Only one person close to me got COVID, and he survived with no long-term effects.  I got a new (better) job in February, and a raise in April.  I saved  money not eating out or putting as much gas in my car.  But, I spent a lot of time home alone, did not travel, and saw very little of my children or grandchildren.  I also had to give up singing - I sing in a couple of community choruses and my church choir, and all that stopped completely.  Overall, 2020 was not real good, but not the worst.

2010 was probably my worst - I lost a business, came close to declaring bankruptcy, and my marriage of 28 years ended.

Not sure if I can pick one best year, but 2016 was one of the better ones.  Lots of travel, my daughter got married, and my son had his first child, making me a grandfather for the first time.

2di's clinched: 44, 66, 68, 71, 72, 74, 78, 83, 84(east), 86(east), 88(east), 96

Highways I've lived on M-43, M-185, US-127

thspfc

I agree that 2020 wasn't the worst year. To say that is not to discount the experiences of those for whom it was the worst year. We're all allowed to live our own lives while still making sure that we're not putting others in danger. The first half of 2020 was pretty forgettable. We all remember those last few days of Covid not being much of a public concern, but after that, days quickly started to blend together. It made me realize how important a structure is. Needing to physically be somewhere at a certain time every day, or most days, is a must for me. Some of that returned during the summer and fall months, which was nice. Overall I would rank 2020 closer to the top than the bottom, but that is obviously just my perspective. And recency bias is a real thing, so we'll see what my answer is in a few years.

I don't really think of myself as a nostalgic person. New cars are worth more than used cars for a reason. I romanticize certain things about past years, but it should be obvious that very positive and/or very negative memories are going to define our cumulative view of a given year once it's a ways in the rear view mirror. The day-to-day stuff just gets phased out of our memories over time. So for that reason it's difficult to judge what the best year was, but if I had to pick I would go with 2019.

tolbs17

2020. COVID-19 fucked me up hard. Although 2009 was pretty iffy for me as well

webny99

Quote from: thspfc on March 25, 2021, 08:25:54 PM
The first half of 2020 was pretty forgettable. We all remember those last few days of Covid not being much of a public concern, but after that, days quickly started to blend together. It made me realize how important a structure is. Needing to physically be somewhere at a certain time every day, or most days, is a must for me. Some of that returned during the summer and fall months, which was nice.

For me, it was quite the opposite. The second half of 2020 was pretty forgettable and started blending together, while the first half had very distinct phases - from hearing about COVID, to watching things like sports get affected by it, to events and gatherings being restricted, to wearing masks in the grocery store, and so on. March and April 2020 will probably go down as some of my least forgettable months. On the other hand, September? October? I don't remember anything distinct about those months.

As I've mentioned before, the pandemic has certainly warped my sense of time on multiple levels. It almost feels like now that the concept of "2020!" is behind us, 2021 is just another year, and not a particularly noteworthy one at that, other than the fact that it's distinctly separated from all past years by the great gulf of 2020.

index

#34
2019-2020 both have an equally high rank as my worst years. You apparently call a horrible year an annus horribilis. Lost friends, really bad relationships with people, domestic violence, having family members almost killed by COVID then by cancer, at the same time...Abuse from other people, sometimes violent and not really appropriate to describe on this forum, (but it's extremely traumatic, I am trying to get an evaluation for PTSD as of now so I can explore treatment options. The effects of it still cause issues for me with getting along with people and I have a tendency to lash out and get angry over little things other people do if it even slightly reminds me of those incidents, not to mention the severe anxiety it causes) Other ills of 2020 include getting mental and physical diagnoses for myself that I didn't want to hear about and still honestly don't want to accept, hardly any socialization, a lot of embarrassing things happened, a lot of HUGE opportunities I missed, sometimes by my own fault, the list also goes on for a ton of other tiny things.

I really regret that last bit too. Did you all know I ran to be a delegate, and won a party election for my congressional district to one of 5 delegates to the 2020 DNC from NC-09? I ended up withdrawing my name due to concerns about COVID so I was replaced with an alternate, but only after I did that, it was announced it would be virtual. I regret doing that, it probably would've been the crowning achievement of my life so far. At least I can say I've won an election before.

2016 was probably my best year. I was a really stupid and cringey middle schooler but that was probably the last year I actually had real friends, made actual memories and generally just had people IRL I could shoot the shit with. I didn't really have all the worries I do now with health, illnesses, other people, etc. I am very much looking forward to what the rest of 2021 brings me. I am starting college and moving out on my own in Western North Carolina, provided I can get a disability-based exemption from my requirement to live on campus which won't be reviewed until May, which it probably will...I have all the appropriate medical documentation and it doesn't bring an undue burden or in fact, cost anything, to the school. I have my income sorted out, my living situation entirely planned out, etc, and I'm provided with some excellent recreational opportunities up in the mountains to better what phyiscal health issues I can control, and I'm in an entirely new place so I'm not carrying around the old, bad view people have of me.
I love my 2010 Ford Explorer.



Counties traveled

interstatefan990

Best: 2019

Worst: 2020

(Might edit later if I feel like posting an explanation)
Multi-lane roundabouts are an abomination to mankind.

NWI_Irish96

My worst year was 2012--my father died in January from cancer at age 66 and my sister died in December from complications from surgery at age 35.

2020 is definitely second worst. Didn't get COVID and nobody close to me died, but had a couple falls that limited my mobility and I put on a substantial amount of weight that has caused my health to deteriorate significantly and am going to need bariatric surgery.

Best years would have to be 2003 because I got married and 2008 and 2009 because my kids were born, but aside from the obvious things, I'd say 2001 as I got to see a lot of the country traveling for work and vacation. Got to 5 new states that year.
Indiana: counties 100%, highways 100%
Illinois: counties 100%, highways 61%
Michigan: counties 100%, highways 56%
Wisconsin: counties 86%, highways 23%

roadman65

2012 when I lost my dad was a bad year for me.

2000 and 1985 were great years for me.  My first Summer Vacation I had paid at a job and great music on the radio then in 85.  2000 I got to go west and see Grand Canyon, Vegas, and the I-40 corridor as well as Colorado, Kansas, Utah, and Kansas City area.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe



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