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The best things that have ever happened to you.
Loren Michael
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
What are the best things that have ever happened to you? These can be watershed moments in your personal history that have contributed to making you a better person, incredible, unforgettable experiences, or whatever. What's been awesome about your life so far?
I have to say, starting to play Magic: the Gathering when I was 12 didn't do a great deal for my social life or acne problems, but it is easily the best turn-based game I've ever played, and its concepts can be applied to a vast array of other pursuits, both gaming-related and not. All that said though, quitting Magic was also a very important and beneficial moment in my life.
Moving out of my parents' house was great, and I immediately started getting along with them much better afterwards. I also had massive parties with my roommates, and had a generally awesome time.
Having sex for the first time, while oversold in some literature and movies as a massive watershed moment, actually kind of was for me. It was one of many self-confidence builders (and probably one of the first major ones, after The First Real Kiss, and The First Real Girlfriend) that got me out of my teenage antisocial rut.
Having a friend tell me, "hey, take this CD and listen to it twice, all the way through." (the CD being Amnesiac) got me hooked on Radiohead, and forever altered my music tastes for the better.
I have to say, starting to play Magic: the Gathering when I was 12 didn't do a great deal for my social life or acne problems, but it is easily the best turn-based game I've ever played, and its concepts can be applied to a vast array of other pursuits, both gaming-related and not. All that said though, quitting Magic was also a very important and beneficial moment in my life.
Moving out of my parents' house was great, and I immediately started getting along with them much better afterwards. I also had massive parties with my roommates, and had a generally awesome time.
Having sex for the first time, while oversold in some literature and movies as a massive watershed moment, actually kind of was for me. It was one of many self-confidence builders (and probably one of the first major ones, after The First Real Kiss, and The First Real Girlfriend) that got me out of my teenage antisocial rut.
Having a friend tell me, "hey, take this CD and listen to it twice, all the way through." (the CD being Amnesiac) got me hooked on Radiohead, and forever altered my music tastes for the better.
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That ranks up there.
I'll second the first sexual experience, too. The day I got my driver's license was pretty special too.
Aside from that, winning a student election during undergrad was pretty cool. I'm sure many of them only did it because I have a unique name, but thousands of people still voted for me, and the elected position was one with real budgetary power.
Working as a lifeguard was one, as well. Did it through high school and some undergrad, and I'll be damned if I've ever done anything that taught me more about how people work and think.
Having a great interview and getting an awesome entry level position after undergrad was a huge one for me, because I was confident, but it was still the real world after 18 or so years in the school system. "Oh, so this real-world thing isn't so hard after all."
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
I have a similar one. September 9, 1999. Some folks might remember this as the launch date of the Dreamcast. Well, in the SF bay area that night there was a HUGE lightning storm that traveled southbound along the coast. I happened to be having dinner in Hayward, about two hours north of my home in Santa Cruz. I traveled down the highway, basically chasing the storm, surrounded by lightning the whole way. It was spectacular. By the time I got to Santa Cruz, I still hadn't had enough, so I drove out to the west cliffs overlooking the ocean and sat out in the rain and got soaked while I watched the storm drift out to sea, illuminating the water with lightning the whole way. I felt really happy to be alive (which, at that time in my life, was a rarity). Then, when I got home, my roommates were just barely packing their brand new Dreamcast and firing up Soul Calibur. The graphics were spectacular, and playing it was a load of fun. It was the perfect conclusion to the evening, and I felt really happy to be a geek.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
See, when we went home after the date, we didn't have condoms, so we kind of did every position we could think of (and probably made up a few new ones) that didn't involve baby-making. The next day, we went out for condoms, came home, and had sex... for quite a while, actually. When we finally stopped, I told her that she just bust my cherry. She laughed like I made a joke.
It took several minutes of convincing that, no, really, I was actually a virgin until she finally accepted that I was telling the truth.
Apparently I was... well, I was too damn good in bed to be a believable virgin.
So much for that awkward virgin stereotype, I guess.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I almost buy the explanation given at the end of The Revenge of the Nerds.
Also, in rereading my OP, I think I understated how important Magic was to me. Timing, attrition, bluffing, not to mention the insane strategy involved in both playing and creating decks... it's seriously one of the best exercises for abstract strategy I've ever seen.
I should forgot to mention, reading Michael Shermer's Why People Believe Strange Things got me started on skepticism in a huge way. I have to give credit to Carl Sagan, too, but Shermer's book was the first and one of the best.
I totally get it. When you start to see those first few cards hit the table, and you read your opponent... is this the kind of guy who would play a standard deck, or something wacky? I see that Serra, and there's an Island, is a Stasis coming? Predicting the deck build, trying to weigh the likelihood of him getting key cards faster than you...
Or seeing a new set come out and watching the balance of power shift from one color to another, or from one deck type to another. Or trying to predict how new cards will be used in various deck types. Trimming the fat off of a deck, focusing it on it's central purpose while leaving just enough flexibility to not get blindsided by something you didn't expect.
I played a lot of Magic, and I really do agree that many of the cognitive skills developed are applicable to life in general. It's chess-like in it's depth with the added complexity of the decks themselves being projections of their owners' personalities.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
she's hilarious, smart and beautiful. she's helped me mellow out a lot, gotten me to try new things, adopt a healthier lifestyle, encouraged me in my professional and personal pursuits, everything really.
she helped me find a blues harmonica teacher in japan. fucking awesome. one day, my blues harmonica will rock your world.
just wanted to comment on this: chess is overrated when it comes to depth. magic is far, far, far more complex than chess. complexity isnt always a great thing and chess is great cause it's easy to learn and hard to master.
but trying to wrap your head around the entirety of magic is much more difficult than trying to understand and play chess. i dont play magic and even i can see that chess is like child's play compared to magic.
Other than that, finding wargaming did amazing things for my social life and numeracy skills, my first PC was just as fantastic for my ability to do my schoolwork since handwriting essays was nearly impossible for me, I get cramped hands if I hold a pen for extended periods and my handwriting is generally atrocious.
Finding White Wolf's online RPG chat was also a turning point in my life, as was being made a moderator for a private site and ultimately opening my own with the woman who would become my wife.. both through playing these online RPGs and through being responsible for others enjoyment, I grew as a person and became a great deal more confident in myself.
Also, my marriage day. Given everything that happened in the days before it (a long story, including a major car accident involving my wife and her 2 best friends), the ceremony went off without a hitch, and everyone still says that the reception was the best they've ever been to. I'm still a bit embarrassed that I cried like a little girl during our first dance, and it's all on tape, but that day was so perfect and bonded my wife and I like nothing else could have.
IOS Game Center ID: Isotope-X
Also, my Dad buying me my first ever console; A Sega Mega Drive along with Sonic 2
Getting accepted for my MA was pretty similar.
But I think the best thing that's happened to me has been the opportunity to live for extended periods in three different countries. I feel a real deep connection with Australia (born here), England (ancestry) and Canada (girlfriend's homeland), and having the opportunity to form roots in all three of those countries has been wonderful. I really have three homes. I couldn't count the number of magical moments when I've stepped off a plane and into a world which is both completely new and totally familiar. It's exciting and wonderful and I'm glad I can bank on such excitement for the rest of my life.
My wife. I met her while working in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, she turns out to be from the same city, my sister hooks us up, and the rest is history. She is a wonderful woman who I would not trade for anything.
My job. You know those guys who seem to take too long to get through university and do not really put too much effort into their studies? I was one of those guys. I was a criminology major, which is a fairly useless pursuit now that I look back. But in the last semester of university I got hooked up with the Correctional Service of Canada, through a clerical error no less, and now I am facilitating a substance abuse program and soon I will be moving back up north to be a parole officer. I fell ass-backwards into an excellent job, and I consider myself to be the luckiest man alive.
By the way, Lauren, great topic.
First paycheck
Getting first girlfriend at that job (self-esteem++).
First kiss
First time going to a live hockey match (made me appreciate sports and the athleticism that goes into them).
First time doing shrooms (made me appreciate nature and realize I should get out of the house more and stop being anti-social).
I'll probably think of more later, but it's morning time and I'm young, so I can't think of much else to put here.
Ralph Baer told me to stop saying unkind things about the Odyssey.
When my wife bought me my Game Boy Color, it was a big deal. I always thought I didn't need a portable since I do all of my gaming at home. I ended up putting lots of time into that, and then the GBA. To this day I spend at least twice as much time on my GBA Micro (It's a pocket-sized SNES!) as I do with my 360.
My job has sent me overseas a couple of times, and it can suck really bad, but it can also be awesome. I got to bring my wife along to Paris once, and I spent a week in Tokyo with my work buddy.
(I also play Magic at least twice a week - I've been playing since right before Legends was released).
Getting the call from my first real employer with an offer and realizing that I was going to be able to escape the crappy internship position, more than triple my salary, and move to a real city and real apartment.
My wife. Everything about her. At least 7 of the top-ten moments of my life involve her, with probably number 2 being our wedding day. (Oh, and to the poster above, I can produce at least 300 people who will claim that our reception was the best ever.
But the best thing about my wife, is that she's directly responsible for the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me...my daughter. She is the most incredibly amazing person that has ever walked this planet. Yes, this is an enamored father speaking, but you cannot possibly convince me otherwise.
twit feed
It was not only a major event, but it led to many other major events in my life, including:
- Moving out of my parents' place and getting my first apartment, as well as my first living-far-away-from-home experience.
- My first girlfriend.
- My first becoming a regular at the campus pub.
- Earning my first academic scholarship (and many, many more after that).
- Getting my first publication, attending my first conference, making my first conference presentation.
- Successfully defending my thesis.
- Teaching my first course.
And probably a lot more that don't come to mind right now.
My first date and subsequent first kiss with a boy (who is my boyfriend now). I had been on dates with girls before, and that had been miserable. I felt anxious and unhappy the entire time - it was a physical reminder that I didn't have what I wanted. But when I got to put my arm around a guy and actually feel and smell him, that was amazing.
I took a trip to Costa Rica and I gained a deep appreciation for natural beauty. I quite literally swam in paradise, and sat in a hammock by the raging paquare river and ziplined through a cloud forest.
171 on the LSAT, which equaled a full scholarship to law school, which meant that my parents would not be paying for it (which they were willing to do and which they did do for my undergrad).
First rock concert I went to.
Getting told I could make the Olympic development team for women's soccer when I was in HS, after I played my brains out in our overtime playoff loss to a team rated vastly higher than us.
But seriously. My boyfriend. He sort of completed the transition into a very stable, balanced part of my life. I feel good about where I am right now, with bouts of depression and self doubt very few and far between.
Also reading the Giver when I was a kid.
edit: what is really nice to see for me in this thread is so many people who mention their spouse or significant other.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Buying my Genesis. I had been saving money for a loooong time (we were poor), and finally convinced my parents that it was ok to blow over $300 on a video game console.
Getting my first computer, a Tandy 1000. Again, a massive amount of money for me at the time. I spent so much time on that thing, just messing around with the file system, etc. having to wipe it and start over on a regular basis, it introduced me to programming, and really started my passion for computers.
Being hired as an IT Admin right out of University. I was one of the only guys in the CS department who had a job offer to run a department 4 months before finals. That was a pretty proud moment.
Buying my first Porsche. A 1986 944 Turbo. It was actually the first vehicle I had ever owned, and really gave me a passion for racing/high-end sports cars.
[Edit] Almost forgot, getting out on a racetrack for the first time. Taking your car out and trying to squeeze every last second you can get out of it to improve your laptime and pass that guy in front of you is just so damned exhilarating.
Flying to Europe for the first time. I spent a month in Germany/France for my first real work vacation, staying with and visiting friends I had met gaming online. Mechwars FTW!
We visited Paris, Berlin, toured the Porsche and Jägermeister factories, it was an amazingly great time.
And finally, I think the thing I'm most excited by now is this:
The birth of my son. I know it's a cliche, but that was really a life changing moment.
First kiss with the woman I'll never have
That magical summer with the woman who never had me
The twins, and what followed
Also; getting accepted to the first-pick college on my list.
College, for making me smrt.
Being forced to take economics and game theory classes, because they made me realize that there was more to life than biology research.
Working at UWashington, because it gave me a reason to go to grad school, as well as gave me tons of experience that will be super useful for getting my thesis work done faster.
It may be too soon to say, but I'll toss in coming to UCSD, because San Diego is the best place to live in the US. Fuck LA up its smoggy ass.
Also, being an officer for my old WoW guild. I know it sounds retarded, but I actually gained a lot of interesting insights and experiences from what is essentially a silly pastime.
It's interesting, but some of the best things that happened to me didn't feel that way at the time.
Getting accepted into University of Toronto Schools (high school) for Grade 7. Studied a lot to get in, and I like it here. For example later today, I'm auditing the 4th lecture in the U of T organic chemistry introductory course, for free.
___
Beginning to like music. First song I liked actively was Locomive Breath by Jethro Tull in grade 8 or 9. Now I like classic and indie rock, and hip hop that has decent instrumental backing. In the space of 1 year I went from never listening to music to a collection of 10 GB's on my computer and an Mp3 player.
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Went to SOMA, Southern Ontario (United Nations) Models Assembly, held at UofT. Enjoyed the competition, and afterwards there was a banquet and a dance. Guys wore suits, girls wore dresses. I was 16 and had never danced with a girl before, mainly due to social awkwardness (in grade 7 I did not understand the beginning of social interactions, and was pretty much a fuckup) and lack of confidence. Midway through a girl grabbed my hand, lead me away from the group, and started dancing with me.
Confidence++
Later asked a girl to dance. She said yes. Asked another 2 afterwards. At one point two girls wanted to dance with me at once. Guzzled (a giant) energy drink when I left for a bit with friends and was wired for the night. Also wore a top hat.
Was euphoric.
____
This past summer I just hung out and chilled with people I got to know from volunteering. Which is big for me, as I used to just sit at home on the computer. And do nothing. We played D&D, lots of road hockey, and video-gamed. A welcome change.
It it the most perfect single moment I can think of. One of those images that you can recall at any time.
Some days I miss being a musician.
Hopefully, I'll be able to add graduate school to my list of awesome moments....
Out of curiosity, how is a song without lyrics raunchy?