Nostalgia

Posted this on a forum I used to live on early in my high school years called Friendcodes geared toward Nintendo WiFi gaming.


Life Goes On (But never forget where you came from)

From a former, inconsequential member of this site who hasn't been active in years:


We drift through life. Make our small footprint in the world. Before parting and moving on. Looking back into my long ago experience with Friendcodes. I am hit with nostalgia... A sadness to know what was once a part of my life is lost. The memories. The familiar faces... Have all disappeared with time. And I am left to ponder of my past history with this site. Creeping up on profiles of old acquaintances. Checking my oldest posts. Remembering my thoughts at the time, but confronting the limits of my memories.

My experience here was detached. Perhaps some would disregard it as shallow. I had a barely over 1000 posts and only stayed for a few years. But, in a way, Friendcodes MEANT something for ME at the time. I have always been an outsider in real life (as I was on FC). And I am still now. Despite my lack of direct relationship with the affairs of FC, I was undoubtedly one of the community. I read countless threads I may have not taken the time out to comment on. At the time, I lacked a computer. I used a crappy imported DS browser from Japan and eventually my Wii browser. For these reasons alone, perhaps I spoke less that I would have. Regardless, I was here as a witness. And contributed when I could.

Perhaps it is silly for me to be so sentimental over a forum. In truth, I think it is not the quality of the forum itself that speaks to my current nostalgia. But rather that FC lives on, as this small, but integral part of my childhood has now died. The site serves as testament of a child I am no longer and can longer be. A time where in leisure I immersed myself in reading foolish, yet beautifully enjoyable threads. A time where 500 and 1000 posts were personal celebrations.A time where hopes of entering staff, despite the impossible odds, became a lingering motive. A time where I spoke gibberish role play in the gamehubs with some acquaintances. A time, where I was obsessed with grammar and writing, yet still often failed at both due my limited experience. A time where I created a thread showing off my most crappy attempts of creating signatures ever. A time where I was obsessed with playing M:PH and Mario Kart DS. A time where I advocated for a Creative Writing forum. A time where FC stood as a community to uplift low self-esteem. A time where I pushed to allow name changes before it was allowed and ended up in the middle of a conflict with a moderator (there went my chances of entering staff). These times, both good and bad, were apart of me. Apart of my experience as a young freshman preparing to and entering high school.

Perhaps the moment which most directly severed my relationship with this site was the selling of my Wii and the purchase of the PS3. I stand by my choice, but little did I notice at the time that such a event could be the catalyst for my break away from the site. Of course there were other factors, the fact that odds of a staff position appeared unlikely, and I became preoccupied with other hobbies. But my entrance into the world of PS3 proved most dramatic. Like my graduation from middle school and my entrance into high school, I had entered new, unfamiliar territory and deserted my youthful past.


I admit FC and my experience appear unimportant in the grander scheme of things. But at the same time it's incredibly important to me. It's the little things in life. The tiny details, that we often brush aside. For what is their use, one might ask. But it is these details which I think we should all learn to appreciate and cherish in the moment. Life is weird. Unpredictable. We drift through the wind making stops along the way. As insignificant as any of the stops may be, they are apart of us and deserve recognition.

For those on FC today, let me leave you with these few preachy words. Always take some time to visit your past. No one may remember you on here when you visit years later. Maybe if you're a fortunate, extremely active social type, you'll have more of a chance. But even then, most of your old companions will be long gone. Maybe you won't care to visit at all. And that's okay. Visit for yourself, and no one else. Go back and take a trip down memory lane and relive the experiences you had. Relish in the moments. Have a laugh or shed a tear or two. But just do it. Because it's beautiful, and it's your life. And you only live once. (YOLO) So appreciate what you've had. And know that one day the past will be the present. And everything that once mattered, won't matter at all. But that's okay. Because life goes on...

Rant finished. :D