What is your most memorable year?

[bigwillq]

For me it would have to be 2001.

Here's a list as to why:

1. I met my b/f in May. We started going "steady" in July. We've been together ever since.
2. I "came out" to my parents and most of my friends. It was difficult at first but it was a long journey of self-acceptance. It was the best decision I have ever made.
3. Fall of 2001 was my final semester of college and it rocked! I didn't walk until May of 2002 but that's when I finished my classes.
4. With school finishing and me coming out, this was the first time I ever felt like a grown up.
5. I became a registered DEM.


Memorable but not for good reasons
1. 9-11. My worst fears became a reality.
Made me more politically aware and motivated.
2. Three friends died in a car crash, another was seriously injured.
I still can't get the image of those three friends in the casket out of my mind. Went to three wakes on a Tuesday, three funerals (at least part of each) on a Wednesday.

What year stands out for you?

[grannylib]

1. 1998. It's the unfortunate turning point in my life, the "before Emmy died

and "after Emmy died."
My oldest daughter, mother of my two precious little grandchildren (who are not so little anymore, 9 and 10, yikes) died in a car accident on Jan. 4 1998. Life goes on, and time does help to heal, but it'll never be quite the same, without her. Had kind of a "lost year" after that, year and a half, really...lost my job, pretty much hated life, it sucked. But things are better now.

[bigwillq]

2. How awful.

Those poor kids, they were so young to lose their mother and Emmy-way too young to lose her life.

Thanks for sharing.
Glad things have gotten a bit better.:hi:

[WCGreen]

21. They say it's always the worst thing to see a child go

before you do......

But it must have been doubly bad when your emmy had so much to live for......

But she lives on in your grandchildren.....

God Bless you for your stregth and your courage....

[driver8]

37. Oh man...I am so sorry for your loss.

I have a three year old daughter and a 22 month old son who mean everything to me. I cannot imagine the pain you must have gone through.

Sending good thoughts and hugs your way.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

3. Two years

2000 (moved from Kansas to Pennsylvania, the first time I'd ever lived anywhere but Kansas)

2005 (graduated from law school and moved to Texas)


Grannylib, so sorry for your loss. :hug:

[bigwillq]

5. Well congrats

to a future lawyer!:hi:

[sundog]

4. 1994

graduated from college & set out across the country... left my childhood home never to return...

[bigwillq]

6. And causing trouble ever since!

:P

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

7. You certainly had a roller coaster of a year in 2001!

[bigwillq]

8. YES!

It was crazy but some life-altering moments. Good and Bad.:hi:

[Ariana Celeste]

9. 1994, worst year of my life.

I was 9. Here goes. No particular order.

Older brother died.

Parents divorced.

Dad moved to Texas.

Mom hooked up with mean drunk immediately after.

Abuse ensued.

Someone decided it would be fun to set our house on fire.

Little brother and I moved to Texas.

Dad married drugged up bitchy abusive woman without telling us.

Moved into her trailer- she had 3 kids and a dog. 3 bad, filthy, lice ridden, lying kids.

More abuse ensued.

Very end of '94, they divorce. Merry Christmas kids, we're moving into a dirty motel room.

Oy. Boy am I glad the following years lacked much action. That year sucked. Sucked hard. Everything was pretty cool by the time I hit high school, though. Now everything is awesome. Edited for missing word.

[bigwillq]

10. What a tough year.

Glad you have overcome.

[Ariana Celeste]

11. Sure was, but as my gramma says..

and I agree... I wouldn't be who I am today if the bad things in life hadn't happened. I may be afraid of people and social situations and a little too weird about leaving my house, but when it comes to problems in life, I am always the strong one who helps everybody else get through.

[bigwillq]

12. Good advice from gramma!

I also believe that all things, good and bad, happen for a reason.
You're a survivor and that's a very good thing to be.:hi:

[Ariana Celeste]

15. Thanks, man

:toast: :)

[WCGreen]

18. I had a hell of a childhood as well....

Not quite as "interesting" as yours, but still.....

Alcoholic Father, abusive step father, wierd, I meanposycotic wierd step brothers, going to three different Jr. Highs.......

Moving......

Getting into trouble at school.....

And become radicalized at teh tender age of 13.......

[Ariana Celeste]

25. I did a lot of moving too

and since moms man was a drunk, when he wasnt serving time for dui's mom was always at the bar with him, whether drinking herself or trying to chase him out. So I was left home a lot to cook for my little brother and moms mans daughter. dad was also an alcoholic, though not really mean, just passive aggressive.

Oy. But we got out ok, right? :)

A lot of troubles and obstacles in life is what formed my brother and I into liberals.

[WCGreen]

27. Well my brothers a big money republican

He hates the social repukes but can't stand to vote for dem's because of the Union Connection......

[Jara sang]

13. 1987

Graduated high school and that summer is the best summer I have ever had. I was really into wind surfing at the time and that summer i spent EVERY day at the beach.

[bigwillq]

22. Sounds like fun!

Do you still wind surf?

[Jara sang]

34. No unfortunately

I would love to do it again though. :hi:

[WCGreen]

14. 1974, that's the year that WCGreen became a man.....

And it wasn't a bar mitzvah, if you get my Drift....

Nudge nidge, wink wink

[bigwillq]

23. HA!

That's great!:hi:

[Misunderestimator]

16. 2005... Everything else is a fog.

[Ariana Celeste]

19. Lol!

:toast: With the exception of the worst year of my life, that's pretty much how it is around here, too!

[Hardrada]

17. 1968

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

[bigwillq]

24. Bet you had tons of fun!

:toast:

[Hardrada]

30. Never had more

since though 1970 was very excellent in retrospect!

[NNadir]

32. 1984 was a great year for me.

I convinced my (future) wife to move in with me. We went to Aspen to ski, travelled by car across the US, moved to California from New York, made love, made love and made love.

It was a very good year.

Later we had some rough times, but it was a great way to start and we're together still and still in love.

Politically it sucked - Reagan was President - but I had no idea back then that things could be much, much worse than Reagan.

[Skittles]

20. 1985

my cat died, my apartment burned to the ground, my dad killed himself; or 2004 - I was laid off, that piece of shit was reinstalled into the White House, my brother drank himself to death.

[bigwillq]

26. Wow.

Has 2005 been aby better?:shrug:

[Skittles]

43. I had hopes

but the deaths of Khephra and Andy threw me for a loop

[Lindsey]

28. 1975

Got Pregnant (didn't want or intend to)
Graduated High School
Got Married (didn't want to)
Wasn't able to start college in the fall of '75 which was my lifelong dream (and what I had completely planned to do)
Moved to California (from Tx. @ 17 years old and had never lived anywhere else)because husband joined the Navy and that's where he was stationed (this was actually a wonderful thing and caused me to fall in love with CA which is why, 11 years later, I moved back here for good)
Had a baby
Found out my closest sister(at the time) was a herion addict and in the hospital with severe hepatitis

[WCGreen]

33. I graduated in 75 as well...

At seventeen

[Skittles]

44. graduated from hs, enlisted in the Air Force

just 18 years old

[sendero]

29. Hmmm.....

... bad year: 1996. suddenly found myself divorced. Spent last half of the year trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong, trying to forgive her, and to never let the kids know how much it all hurt.

great year: 1997. Regained my equilibrium. Met several women, ranging from nice to fantastic (but every one of them a damn good time :)) and then settled down with a fantistic one in November. We're married now, and it's great.

Honorable mention for bad year: 1977 Health (both mental and physical) took a sudden turn for the worst. Childhood friend died under mysterious circumstances. Girlfriend had a heart attack. Seemed like the world was unraveling. :(

[bigwillq]

31. Congrats on the wedding!

:hi:

[Champ]

35. 2001 here too

Too many reasons to go into detail but if it wasn't for 2001 I wouldn't be the person who I am today. It was the greatest year of my life even though some of the worst things happened to me that year.

[bigwillq]

36. COOL!

:hi:

[UrbScotty]

38. 2001 for me too.

Of course there was the inauguration and 9/11. Also, my grandmother died in February.

However, I did feel more grwn-up that year, and my family and I took a trip to West Virginia and DC.

[liberaltrucker]

39. 1973

Looks like I'm the old fart on the thread.

[Hardrada]

42. Not quite

See reference above to 1968!:D

[Roland99]

40. 1987: U2's Joshua Tree came out, 1st daughter born, got married

In that order, too.



;)

[HEyHEY]

41. 1999

- Left home for the first time, ended up in Moncton New Brunswick
- Rock and rolled all night and partied every day
- Learned French
- Met a hell of great girl (I foolishly left behind)
- Met the world
- Learned a ton about myself.

[LastKnight]

45. 2005

this has been one to remember...

feel in love with a wonderful girl who i had met the year before, only to be dumped and go through my first serious heartbreak.

2 friends committed suicide

1 boss died of a heart attack

brother and cousin both hospitalized for brain tumors.

and thats just january-july. there were other small things adding to these problems, but through all this i did some much-needed growing up. im a different person than i was a year ago, and i wouldnt change a thing. i have a new sense of life's worth, as well as being able to apprecieate love more now that i know what it is like with and without it. so all is good.

cant wait to see what comes next, honestly. i may have been an adult before this year, but i wasnt nearly as grown up as i am now.

[Left_Winger]

46. Several years of my life stand out from my perspective

1967: My brother was killed in action in Vietnam while trying to save a guy's life while under fire (he was a medic). This was very devastating on my family.

1970: I started my first job, working on a soybean farm for $2 a day plus lunch.

1972: I became a licensed driver (before this I would go for rides, unlicensed and uninsured :spank:)

1974: I graduated high school and joined the Marines.

1975: I was one of the Marines who was sent in to Koh Tang Island to rescue the SS Mayaguez and ended up in a vicious twelve hour fire fight. Back then I wanted some payback for my brother; I learned the hard way of "beware of what you wish for".

1979: I became a civilian again.

1984: I graduated college.

1989: I obtained a divorce from a marriage I should never have entered into.

1990: I was laid off because of the S&L scandal.

1993: I was laid off again because of the "merger mania" in the banking industry. Also, in this year I returned to college as a graduate student.

2000: I completed my doctorate.

[ladeuxiemevoiture]

47. Two years were esp. good for me

My junior year of high school, when I felt popular (legend in my own mind, is probably closer to the truth, LOL) and things were going very well for me. Ironic that only two years later, I had the absolute WORST year of my life.

Then I would say 2000 or 2001 were excellent years. Had a blast, but then 9/11 happened, which didn't affect me all that much personally, but changed this New Yorker's way of life in a lot of bad ways, so that would be my answer.