A decade gone. At the beginning of 2000 I was in 10th grade. I was into metal, wore my hear in a bowl cut and had glasses the size of 20 inch rims. Now as the beginning of 2010 is here I am into techno/electronic, wearing my hear shaved to the scalp and my glasses are rectangular and smaller.
The decade was good. In fact, the decade was real good. It had its low points but so does everything. Here is a list of some highlights of my decade by each year:
2000
Good thing was that we all survived the Y2K scare (I actually had a high school teacher tell us that when 2000 hit all the nucleur reactors were going to melt through the Earth's crust and burn down to the Earth's core and cause a massive eruption and cause all the volcano's explode.....he was way off).
The year 2000 was just another year in surviving high school.
2001
I don't remember much of this year aside from this was when I had my first g/f. It lasted 3 weeks the first time and the second time 6 months.
The bad, of course, was September 11th. Everybody remembers where they were when they first heard of what was happening. I was in my English class, Mrs. Smart was her name, sitting right against the wall near the window 3 seats back. The Principal came on the intercom and made an announcment that the WTC had been hit twice. We had a T.V. in the room and turned on CNN and I watched the towers fall live.
2002
I got my first job at the 'Seven Year Steak Home' on January 2 and that job consumed the rest of my life for the rest of the decade. I graduated high school and started my first year of college. Bad thing was I was undeclared and didn't know what the hell I wanted to do as a career.
2003
Still undeclared in college. Oh the joy...
My life changed on my birthday that year. Why? I got a camera for my birthday. Brandon, I would like you to meet Photography. Photography, I would like you to meet Brandon.
2004
The Carolina Panthers make it to the Superbowl and I start paying attention to the team from here on out. I move to Charleston for 4 months to study Art Studio at College of Charleston. I thought that was what I wanted to do... I was wrong and I put 15,000 miles on my car in 4 months.
2005
My love for travel begins by a 4 day roadtrip with 15 or so friends to Dallas, Texas. I purchased my first car. A 1995 Toyota Camry was getting me from A to B but I saw a commercial for a little unknown car company called Scion and their new car, the tC. I fell in love, buy it in January and miraculously pay it off by December. My dad is a financial wizard and I learned his ways. I also decided to study graphic design and photography at college.
2006
I traveled to New York City and Germany, both for school and while in Germany, I learn the ways of the World Cup.
2007
This was a very depressing year for me. Reasons I will not explain but on the bright side I got to travel to Mexico and see Tulum which is a 700 year old Mayan city. Our tour guide didn't mention anything about 2012... hmmm
2008
And in 1st place for best year of my life goes too.....
I landed the girl of my dreams and fell deeply in love, finally graduated college (took 6 years but I got a degree), launched my photography website nodnarb photography, traveled to New Orleans, San Francisco, Bahamas, Guam, Tokyo and Saipan. Also, after 25 years I finally see my Godfather again whom lives in Guam.
2009
And for the award for Most Frustrating Year goes too.....
My job of 7 and half years was taken away from me by a woman whom worked there for 2 months then got fired (make sense? didn't think so), was unemployed for 3 months, struggled relentlessly for a job in my field, and didn't get to spend Christmas with my love (still haven't yet). On the bright side of 2009, road trip to Canada with 6 friends rocked, seeing my award-winning photograph hanging up in the Smithsonian and published in their magazine was sweet, hanging out in Key West was relaxing, my favorite sport team, the UNC Tar Heels wins the NCAA Championship and a road trip through the snow covered mountains to Memphis was a good way to end the year.
Overall, it was the decade that I really grew, found out who I am, learned some of life's more difficult questions. The most important thing I learned this decade is a quote that my Mom told me and realizing what it means. The quote goes as, "Life is like loose change, be wise and careful on how you spend it because you can only spend it once." I spent my change for this decade pretty well. There is nothing I want to return, I'll keep my purchase.
I'll let you know how the next decade will be... if we survive 2012.
Shadows & Light
2 months ago
