#10YearChallenge
Social media is ablaze with the 10 year challenge, which to my knowledge first hit the social media world in 2019, and has reared it’s curious head back in 2022. Much like the first go around, there is still tons of chatter about the meme having some facial recognition component. I’m shocked with all of the distrust flying around concerning media and of course the newly rebranded Meta, that I’ve seen as many of these memes as I have.
Some people find the 10-Year-Challenge annoying. I won’t use that label. I mean, I enjoy seeing photos of my friends, and of course it’s interesting to most to see how we all have changed over a decade. But, what really does that tell me?
10 years ago, I was living in Alaska. Walking everywhere because I didn't have a car. I would’ve been there for 5 months. Not long at all. On a week’s notice I had moved to the coldest inhabited place in North America. I was a little over a year removed from my time in Afghanistan.
The average that winter was -40. I was living in a motel room. It was a 2-room motel room, but a motel room nonetheless. I had cable and wi-fi. I had all the fresh air I could handle, and went for walks often. Walking in subzero temperatures are a workout all their own, and the silence of the environment was something quite amazing. You learn words like “sublimation” and reading frost on windows to give you an inkling of the temperature outside.
I lived right next to the grocery store. I could watch the people come and go, and watch them leave their cars running as they went into the store. It never ceased to amaze me you were better off leaving your car running in that weather. It also amazed me you could trust the people around you not to go running off with your car. Amazing.
I had access to a gym. I shot basketball a lot, and a weight room, although I still wasn't much into weight training. When I found a willing participant, I did some jiu jitsu here and there.
I house sat a lot. I loved using peoples wood burning stoves. I loved splitting wood, stacking wood, and learning the intricacies of storing wood well and building a good fire.
Today, I live in one of the best cities in the world. I can hear my iridescent heat radiator clanging like a kids concert band percussion section before the concert. I live in a 2-bedroom apartment, and my view, while pleasant, isn’t nearly as picturesque as the one in Alaska. I sometimes look out my window and imagine the buildings in the distance are exotic mountains.
I have a job I donn't like nearly as much as the one I had 10 years ago, but I persevere. I revel in the good moments, I smile through the bad ones, and I know that there is even brighter shit on the horizon.
I'm smarter. Bolder. More introspective and more honest. More open and less judgemental, although I'm still hella judgemental and need to work on that. I know myself better, and I’m also better at reading those around me. I'm perfectly flawed, often a perfect mess. I've been fortunate to have gained the knowledge of both experience and reflection. I’ve shaken some of the trauma of my time in Afghanistan off, and some of it has seeped deep into my bones.
Who cares what I looked like 10 years ago?
I've had a badass journey in those 10 years. That's far more interesting.
Have you participated in the 10-year-challenge? Tell me how you’ve changed over the last 10 years in the comment section down below.
Important note: No! I do not think the #10yearchallenge has anything to do with facial recognition technology or updating it.
Thumbnail photo by Vincent Ledvina on Unsplash
