How About A Throwback Thursday

I don't know how or why the Throwback Thursday hashtag became a thing, but it inundates my newsfeed every week. There are those who occasionally toss up an old pic, and there are those that do it religiously every.single.week. It's not a bother though. It's actually kind of fun to reminisce of an era long gone. I figured I'd get in on it since this picture landed in my memories anyway.

Meet me circa 2003. If pictures could talk, this would sound like Limp Bizkit. At least I think Limp Bizkit was still popular then. It was right around the time Green Days American Idiot dropped on LimeWire, and I'm pretty sure I gave a computer virtual aids in downloading it. JNCO's were out, but those wide leg Levi 569's were all the rage. You can't see the logo, but that shirt says "Squirrelly Brothers" on it i old english script. That was the rock band I was in at the time. We played a lot of classic rock covers before I moved on to a pretty big Texas Country kick. Even though it's so faded you can't read it anymore, I still wear that shirt today. I still even wear the same chain on my wallet. I know you're thinking "Dang those are some sweet mutton chops!" I thought they were awesome. Coincidentally, they were the only facial hair I could grow at that time.

Looking back on the past isn't always someone reminiscing on what they consider to be their "prime." I see this pic and cringe knowing I lived it. Farrah Faucet flowing locks and all. I was 21 at the time, had just moved to my first big city to finish my education, and yes... that's a picture off a film camera. Digital was just coming of age back then, and nobody my age could afford that kind of tech.

I believe the Nokia 3310 was the most popular phone at that particular moment in time. This is before the first introduction of widely available camera smartphones like the RAZR. People actually got mad at you for texting them... because believe it or not, each text cost a person one minute of calling time, when you could have just called and spilled all your beans cheaper. My click of friends were all into customizing mini-trucks at the time, so naturally, instead of buying custom faceplates for these phones at $12 each, we spent hours and infinitely more money learning how to paint them. Mine was a custom mixed color we called "Hellfire Red." Yeah, we thought it sounded cool. It was just a really orangish red.

At that time, wifi was called wireless internet, and you were blazing pure speed if you had a 14mbps connection. Playstation and Xbox games were still free to play online, and nobody had ever heard of "microtransactions."

I hung out most nights at a billiards hall on Reno Avenue, shooting pool with fellow students and the occasional old friend from home. I was young and still stuck in the mindset of "When I get to (a bigger city) I'll be happy." I was convinced that OKC was a boring place to live. It took me a long time to realize that there are no boring places, I was just a boring person. All it took to get to that point of view was living in some of the nations largest cities and still being bored to death.

While I would love to share my cringe with you in seeing this old photo, I don't cringe about it anymore. I see it and think "Wow I've grown a lot since then." Not in terms of age, but maturity. I've gotten to the point where it's fun to see those old pictures and be reminded of a very different time. Honestly, eighteen years ago might as well be a hundred years ago. It's funny how fast time flies. Those first 21 years take forever, the next twenty go by in minutes. Don't misunderstand me, this isn't me reliving my "prime" as it were. I have not yet begun to define myself... it's just crazy to see the past and remember the details so clearly. Life is a weird and unique experience for each person I suppose. It's enough to make you bust out the Limp Bizkit and relive a moment for a few moments.