Have you changed in 8 years?

Abi · 10-01-2012 01:54PM

Definitely, and for the better. Ended a long term relationship since, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. The damage he's done (and still doing) is a problem, but I'm happy over all with the rest of my life

seamus · 10-01-2012 01:56PM

Actually 8 years is a good figure. It doesn't sound like much, but when I think about where I was in January 2004, it actually blows my mind just how much you go through in what appears like a short amount of time.

I was 21.
In that time I've had 4 jobs, though the current one I've been in for five years.
I've practically lost all of my self-consciousness.
I do a lot less procrastinating (though still a good bit of it)
I know about fifty times as much about my line of work now than I did then.
I've lost nearly five stone, and cycled about 20,000km (most of that in the last 2 years)
My girlfriend finished her degree, moved to London and did another one, she came back, we bought a house, got married and that was still two years ago.
I've been a groomsman once and a best man once.
I've become an uncle, 3 times.
I've owned two motorbikes, two cars and 4 bicycles.
I've had five stitches in my face, bruised my ribs once, cracked them another time, and had countless amounts of road rash and other cuts.
I've spent more than €2,000 on coffee.
I've spent about €20,000 on alcohol

candy-gal1 · 10-01-2012 01:58PM

8 years ago i was 17, in 5th year in school, virgin, still living in my hometown which i took for granted i can see now.
yep ive changed a lot since then, hell ive changed a lot since 2/3 years ago.

Eve_Dublin · 10-01-2012 02:11PM

I'm 31 now. I left Ireland 8 years ago and a hell of a lot has happened to me since (mainly relationships, job changes and moving country to country....nothing majorly tragic has happened in those 8 years thanks god bar a broken heart but I kind of find that funny now in hindsight...all that heartache for what...) but have I essentially changed? Not a huge amount to be honest. I still feel basically the same. I feel maturer though but that happened more in the last few years. Strange feeling. I just feel more settled in myself and have less of a need to impress as I used to. I like myself more and I'm more accepting of others but personality-wise, I'm pretty much the same. Still a bit of a clown.

The 30s are The Business though. The 20s, I suppose, were more craic in the sense that I partied more, but mentally, the 30s win hands down and I can enjoy myself doing stuff I would've been too hungover to do in the past. I'm seizing the daytime more. It's nice to have all that head-wreak of the early 20s done with.

ejmaztec · 10-01-2012 02:17PM

John Doe1 wrote: »

8 years ago i was 5 ft, 13, catholic, virgin, football fan, supporter of irish republicanism so yeah ive changed a bit:D

The only change being that you're now 21?

:pac:

Duggy747 · 10-01-2012 02:26PM

In 8 years hair has appeared where there wasn't hair before.

My chin

Sleepy · 10-01-2012 02:37PM

In the last 8 years I've:

changed jobs twice going from the recent graduate to a key player in a small company.
spent a small fortune on alcohol
moved into new house-shares with strangers twice
learned how to ski
got my driving license and bought my first, second, third and fourth cars.
taken up numerous new hobbies (photography, fishkeeping, weight-lifting)
been site-banned
moving in with my girlfriend and moving house as a family twice more.
lived in an estate where I'm pretty certain I was the only non-multi-millionaire resident but still had a panoramic ocean view and a private beach.
been made redundant.
become utterly blasé about flying anywhere
gotten into, and back out of, good shape.
become a father.
...and consequently started to notice a few grey hairs
through necessity, learned not to waste so much money.
taken up a part-time job in a bar again
gotten engaged

So yeah, Sleepy at 31 is a lot different than he was at 23, this account 's also far less of an alter-ego for me than it was when I initially started posting here a little over 8 years ago... Actually I'd be fascinated to see a trend graph of my posts on boards since I've joined, sub-analysed by forum. If any of you admins could run the SQL to return Date or Year and Month, Forum and Count of my Posts (assuming that wouldn't kill the DB), I'd love to stick it in some of our software and analyse it! If one of you will send me the dataset, I promise to post up the graph!

Biggins · 10-01-2012 02:40PM

Gotten more greyer, learned another language and more determined.

Sunnyisland · 10-01-2012 02:54PM

8 years ago I lived in portugal,Drinking day & night and going through a messy divorce and all that goes with it,been home since 06, stopped drinking and smoking and have gotten my life way back on track in every way and feel great.It sure has gone fast.

bronte · 10-01-2012 03:38PM

I was a real people pleaser back then.
It was probably insecurity.
I've learned to be me and if people don't like it, tough!
That was important to learn.
I've ditched things that were holding me back and learned not to take the world too seriously.

Lawrence1895 · 10-01-2012 03:45PM

8 years ago, I was living in Germany, now I'm living in Dublin

But I also heard, a person is changing every 7 years

10-01-2012 03:53PM

I feel very very far from the person I was 8 years ago. It was around then I started to actually get involved in life and jobs started to get worth having following my first years out of college.

And around 8 years ago is when I first met the girls that I am now in a truple relationship with, bought a house with and have the first of a planned four children with. I have learned in that time to cook very well, grow my own food and herbs, build a house, stone BBQ and Jacuzzi single handedly for the fun of it, started a new language, acquired an actual wolf, become relatively very very fit through running, cycling and capoeira, studied and practised meditation to calm my emotions and train and improve my attention, become involved in several political issues mostly around alternative lifestyles like gay marriage due to my own relationship being slightly out of the ordinary, and made a massively new but exciting circle of friends.

I can barely remember - let alone recognise - the person I was 9 years ago. The last 8 years have been a trip.

Sleepy · 10-01-2012 05:11PM

An interesting adendum would be: do you think you'd like the person you were 8 years ago if you met them in the street (obviously assuming you were magically unable to recognise your younger self)?

Viral Vector · 10-01-2012 05:19PM

I've changed a good bit - 24 years old.

Got the Leaving Cert (had to do it twice it was that much fun!), Undergrad and Masters.
Lived in Galway for 6 years and London for 1 year
Had braces
Now drink
Had a gf for a good bit
Use internet now more than ever!

IvyTheTerrible · 10-01-2012 05:23PM

I think i have changed more in the last 3 years than I did in the previous 8.

Lanaier · 10-01-2012 06:44PM

TeddyTedson wrote: »

sorry we're just interested in the last 8:(

Okidokie then.

Hmm, lets see...in the 8 years since I was 23 I've:

Gotten married.
Learned Chinese.
Had 4 jobs.
Been in three (minor) car crashes (I wasn't driving).
Owned a motorbike.
Had three bicycles stolen.
Been to Ireland only twice.
Been in two life threatening situations.
Been deported.
Become tattooed.
Quit cigarettes (after 12 years 2-3 packs a day)
I believe I may have broken my nose.
Become an uncle twice.
Had my ugly mug printed on buses and bus stops in an advert.
Been fired and then re-hired and promoted all by the same company on the same day (in that order).
Been stalked by both a man and a woman (separately).
Sampled just about every cuisine under the sun, from brains to balls. None of that Balut sh1t3 though, must have lost my adventurous palate by the time I discovered that.
Grown to realize that Ireland is pretty small in the scheme of things, and actually it aint such a bad place.
Hopefully become slightly less of a dick

I can think of more but that will do for now.
What an interesting segment of life to ponder, thanks OP!

Max Power1 · 10-01-2012 06:54PM

Attitudes? Yup

Appearance? Yes, grown my hair (& occasional goatee/beard) long

Partner? Yes, multiple times, but not going to change again. Theres something different in a relationship when you feel confident enough to get matching tatoos of each other's names together :P

Car? Yes, I'm a car-aholic

Political opinions? Somewhat - mellowed with age

Computers? Yup

Phones? Yes,
House? A few (I moved out of the 'rents gaff and into a few different rented houses in the past 8 years)

Ive grown a lot, from 17 to 25 in the past 8 years.

Lanaier · 10-01-2012 06:59PM

^ Ah yes, thanks for reminding me Max.

I've had several beards, every man should!

The missus isn't a fan though - clean shaven these days

Bullchomper · 10-01-2012 07:19PM

8 years ago I was a feckless hedonistic wanderer with nothing to lose...
Now I am a repressed feckless hedonistic wanderer with a career to lose..
Now I am nervous.... very nervous.

Sindri · 10-01-2012 07:26PM

stupidusername wrote: »

am... i never had friends, and thought ther was something wrong with me

That's really sad. I'll be your friend.:)

Doyler92 · 10-01-2012 07:28PM

No but I'm planning on changing in 9 years.

stupidusername · 10-01-2012 09:35PM

Sindri wrote: »

That's really sad. I'll be your friend.:)

I have friends now, but thanks

newbee22 · 10-01-2012 09:50PM

8 years ago I was 16, so I've changed a lot!
I'm 6 stone lighter, so I'm way slimmer and really fit now. The only thing I must do is give up the sneaky drunkin ciggies I have from time to time!
I'm working in a job I love so I'm happy that I put the head down during the leaving cert year and actually studied because I couldn't see myself doing anything other than what I'm doing now.
I'm a way happier person and happier in my own skin as opposed to the shy teenager I was, now I'd talk to anyone.

Abi · 10-01-2012 10:12PM

Abi wrote: »

Definitely, and for the better. Ended a long term relationship since, and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. The damage he's done (and still doing) is a problem, but I'm happy over all with the rest of my life

Cancel that order.

Despite the fact that I hate the 'blast it with piss' thing, feel free to blast whatever you like over the ex after todays events. I recommend a hot curry and laxatives before you do so.

Many thanks.

boomkatalog · 10-01-2012 11:02PM

I was 13 then so obviously I've grown up a lot, but I'm far less attractive to men on the internet.

Jumpy · 13-01-2012 01:05PM

Abi wrote: »

Cancel that order.

Despite the fact that I hate the 'blast it with piss' thing, feel free to blast whatever you like over the ex after todays events. I recommend a hot curry and laxatives before you do so.

Many thanks.

I ate tons of corn as well. My body is ready. Just point me the correct way.

Wompa1 · 13-01-2012 01:15PM

I change mentally every year. Right now I feel like my brain is sharper than it has ever been and my biggest love in life at the moment is learning new things. When I was in school I didn't do very well, I was a shy sad little kid and not shy in the way that a lot of girls I've gone out with have said they were...I was a complete loner, hated a lot of things but wasn't Goth or anything like that. Had no social circle.

I started drinking when I was 19 which brought me out of my shell a little bit. Not so much the drink but my decision to drink, when I did, it was a big burden off me. I could then enjoy myself more sober...if that makes sense. Growing up in Ireland when everybody around you is drinking between 13-16, if you don't you feel like a complete out cast.

I had my heart broken this time last year and was devestated for a few months to the point I wasn't eating and was having very dark thoughts. I then put all my focus into working and skilling myself up. I've now been offered three interviews for very high paying positions. I am with a gorgeous 22 year old girl who was a model for 3 years and is very affectionate and caring for me (not like that last bitch). I have 2 web sites. 1 of which is getting about 10k hits a month and the other has close to 5k after 2 months.

My life has improved exponentially in 8 years and even in 1 year

Have you changed in 8 years?

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