2014 in Review

[Grinner]

What's 2014 been like for you? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Will you miss it? Are you glad to see it go?

[veti]

What's 2014 been like for you? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Will you miss it? Are you glad to see it go?

Worst. Year. Ever.

Alienated at work. Rapidly losing interest in the company, and they in me.

Failing to find time to pursue private projects, because family.

Almost lost a limb to infection. (Only "almost", though. That's a bright spot. But it doesn't take away the almost-a-month of continuous intense pain.)

My mother died.

OK, it's had compensations. (See "family", above.) But on the whole, it's been a hard grind. I sincerely hope I won't miss it.

[Ego Slayer]

Worst. Year. Ever.

That sums up mine.

Rivaled only by 2013. I hope things get a little better next year. Three years of 100% **** in a row would be too much. :smallsigh:

[Afool]

Eh. It hasn't been the best year and I've seen quite a few people who haven't exactly had anything resembling a good year for 2014.

But other than a few rough patches, going through two break ups, potentially losing my financial aid for college, and almost having a nervous breakdown at work due to anticipating the previous, it's been a decent year.

[Starwulf]

Hmm, not to be blase, but meh, it was just another year honestly. Nothing really exciting happened, nothing really bad happened. Just more of the same, repeating over and over.

[SarahV]

2014 was a really, really hard year for me.

A lot of really bad things happened to friends: one had cancer, one was hit by a car pretty severely, one had a life-threatening infection that has resulted in something like two months of hospitalization (and counting - he is having surgery tomorrow).

The first 2/3 of the year I was having some major difficulties at home, with some horrible upstairs neighbors (partying till 4AM, a parade of strangers ringing the bell and slamming the front door at all hours of the night, and getting cigarette and other smoke in my apartment pretty much 24-7, which was bad enough that I had to start taking preventative asthma medication for the first time in my life).

I also started having difficulties with my landlady which I hesitate to even get into here - I think she had some serious psychiatric (or drug) issues and this resulted in her doing and saying things which were almost certainly illegal and extremely stressful. I had to threaten to call the police to get her to leave my apartment after she showed up and started ranting and yelling at me on multiple occasions. I'd lived there for 12 years with no issues... no idea what was going on in her head.

The company I worked for, run by the person with cancer, unfortunately went bankrupt (in part due to his cancer since he wasn't able to be in the office for weeks at a time and there were things we couldn't do without him).

On top of all that I have been sick so. Freaking. Much. Probably a lot of it due to lack of sleep and stress. I think I've had something like 10 total weeks with respiratory virii in 2014, plus a severe allergic reaction (eye swelled shut, lips and hands swelled up, covered in hives head to toe) that needed heavy medication to knock it down, which caused me unpleasant side effects for months, essentially making me ill from April to June pretty much constantly. Plus my asthma has gotten much more severe and frequent.

Now, on the flip side there were some very good and lucky things, many of which were also really hard. The bankrupt company was bought by someone I know who is just about my biggest fan (she told me she wouldn't buy it unless I promised to come with). This meant I still had a job, and even got a raise, but we were tasked with digging a company out of the ashes, dealing with clients, reputation problems due to bankruptcy, paying some outstanding debts, etc. with basically no help from the previous owner - he was very ill and when he was able to sell he just walked out and never looked back. We had no information from him about many key things and we've been constantly beset with unpleasant surprises and mounds of paperwork/bureaucracy.

Also good and lucky: I moved out of the place with bad neighbors and the crazy landlady to a new place 200 miles away that I am very happy and excited about - I love the new apartment, my new landlord is a dream come true, I love where I'm living, I'm close to my parents... but... apartment hunting and moving was VERY HARD, especially with the insane landlady making problems left and right (threatening to call and lie about me to my prospective landlord, showing up to scream at me in front of my family on moving day, etc.).

So, yeah. I'm hoping 2015 is easier.

And I just wrote way too much.

[LaZodiac]

Man I feel like a bummer now because my year's been great. I got a job that'll do me for the rest of my life basically, and nothing bad really happened other then my friends having bad years and me having to help them feel better.

[EmeraldRose]

I'd say mixed reviews.

My dad's leukemia went into remission.

Received the highest award possible at my company.

Andre got a job and is still there.

My dad's leukemia came back.

Can't pay our bills.

Have gained lots of weight b/c depressed and stressed and etc.

Got a puppy.

My dad died.

[FinnLassie]

In a short summary, I found myself through the hard way, and I'm happy with that. I'm not trying to dwell on the bad things too much, because the end of the year has been rather fruitful.

[halfeye]

For me? Meh. not that interesting, not horrible. Which I suppose is good really, considering how bad horrible can become.

[Bulldog Psion]

Pretty bad, with some good spots.

A definite improvement over the festering, loathsome, repellant, vile pile of unspeakable shoggoth droppings that was 2013, however. I don't know if I could survive another year like 2013 mentally or physically. It came close to carrying me off in both ways, I'll tell ya.

It's difficult for me to even think about it, whereas I can think about 2014. So yes, better, though a lot of time wasted due to trying to scrabble together money to do necessary things that have to be done before actual things can be done, if that makes sense.

[comicshorse]

My year was pretty balanced with good and bad paying their visits in turn. The year finished with a financial windfall though so I'm going to count it as a good year

[Jormengand]

As expected, worse than the last. Each year seems to be worse. More work, more self-loathing, more suicide attempts, more general badness. The amount of time I spend tired has increased to near 100%. I've got to the point where I can barely be bothered to leave my bed for most of the day.

I hope that 2015 decides that it's going to break the trend. I doubt it. But I hope so.

[Bulldog Psion]

Jeez, this is a depressing thread. :smallfrown:

[Jormengand]

Jeez, this is a depressing thread. :smallfrown:

Well, if you ask people on a forum about D&D - usually played by social rejects who are not as likely to have happy lives - what their years were like, it's not going to be great.

[halfeye]

Well, if you ask people on a forum about D&D
Maannn, I thought this was a forum about OotS.

[Jormengand]

Maannn, I thought this was a forum about OotS.

I was cutting out the middleman. Middlecomic. Whatever.

[Starwulf]

Well, if you ask people on a forum about D&D - usually played by social rejects who are not as likely to have happy lives - what their years were like, it's not going to be great.

Since when are the people who play D&D social rejects? I find that a very bad stereotype, and not even one that's particular true. Most of the people I know that tend to enjoy D&D and stuff like it, are very well adjusted. Hell, at least a third of them are very social people who party quite a lot and can't walk down a street without someone they know saying something to them.

[Solse]

MUCH better than 2012, but worse than 2013. The latter half has been pretty sucky as I've started a new school year, with teachers out to get me at every turn, realizing that I have *much* fewer friends than I thought, and just feeling down. Still, I got into competitive Smash Bros during 2014, and that's been fun as hell! I've spent lots of time with my family and went on many a trip with them. I also got a job (granted, in the last day or so), but that's still 2014! I've been working on my new website as well, and am literally sooooo close to finishing it. 2014 has seen the rise of craptastic music, terrible social media trends, and stuff like that but I usually stay out of all that.

Happy 2015, Playgrounders!

[SarahV]

So sorry about your dad, EmeraldRose. And all the other folks going through hard times.

A few hours after I posted my litany of Bad Things, someone in my extended family died suddenly of a massive heart attack while on a ski vacation with my brother, nephew, etc. Guess I shouldn't have counted my 2014 chickens of badness before they hatch, or something. At this point I'm just hoping I can make it through the next 58 minutes without further tragedy... :smallfrown:

Re: the depressingness of the thread, it's a truism that bad times always feel bad, but good times usually just feel normal. I'm guessing all the people who are saying "it was an OK year" or "nothing much happened" are doing quite well! :smallsmile: Usually people don't say things are great unless they won the lottery or something really exceptional, but "bad" consists of a lot of things that happen everywhere all the time like death, depression, illness, etc.

[EmeraldRose]

^ Thank you, it's still pretty recent only 2 months ago so it feels very raw still.

Like I said though, there were some very very good things this year as well. My career is in an incredibly excellent position and I've only been with this company a year and a half so nowhere to go but up. And my dad was very proud of the award I received and how it came about. And even though my parent lived across the country (the north/south way) they were able to spend quite a it of time with my kids this year and for that I am incredibly thankful.

In short, the good this year was very good, and the bad was very very bad. A year of extremes.

[Solse]

Re: the depressingness of the thread, it's a truism that bad times always feel bad, but good times usually just feel normal. I'm guessing all the people who are saying "it was an OK year" or "nothing much happened" are doing quite well! :smallsmile: Usually people don't say things are great unless they won the lottery or something really exceptional, but "bad" consists of a lot of things that happen everywhere all the time like death, depression, illness, etc.

Yeah, it's easy to think about all the bad things that happen because they're really large, while good things that happen are smaller, but come more often and accumulate over time.


^ Thank you, it's still pretty recent only 2 months ago so it feels very raw still.

Like I said though, there were some very very good things this year as well. My career is in an incredibly excellent position and I've only been with this company a year and a half so nowhere to go but up. And my dad was very proud of the award I received and how it came about. And even though my parent lived across the country (the north/south way) they were able to spend quite a it of time with my kids this year and for that I am incredibly thankful.

In short, the good this year was very good, and the bad was very very bad. A year of extremes.

I forgot to mention that I'm really sorry about your father, and I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I can't believe that you're handling something like this so well; if it happened to me, I'd be devastated for years.

[EmeraldRose]

I forgot to mention that I'm really sorry about your father, and I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I can't believe that you're handling something like this so well; if it happened to me, I'd be devastated for years.

There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes there are really very bad days. But I have 3 kids, a full time job, and a part time internship so I can't fall apart. I have to keep going. :smallwink:

Also...@ veti...I'm sorry about your mom. I can very much relate. :smallfrown:

[Solse]

There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes there are really very bad days. But I have 3 kids, a full time job, and a part time internship so I can't fall apart. I have to keep going. :smallwink:

I admire your determination. Hopefully your kids help you with dealing with the pain -- just having people that you care about around helps IMO. By the way, if any of this is getting too personal or something, I'll stop, I just want you to know that I offer you my condolences.

[EmeraldRose]

I admire your determination. Hopefully your kids help you with dealing with the pain -- just having people that you care about around helps IMO. By the way, if any of this is getting too personal or something, I'll stop, I just want you to know that I offer you my condolences.

Thank you :smallsmile: It helps talking about it and if it were too personal I wouldn't post it. I've talked about it some over in RB and on another Forum I frequent.

[Taet]

It has been a few weeks since I just forgot a word altogether. And longer since I forgot a word and got very angry about not having it. This is much better than the start of the year. :smallsmile: Now I am only holding back on words out of remembering fear of finding another word missing. I can forget that. With time.

Other anger is coming back to take its place though. I was at peace with the world at the start of the year and now I am not always. :smallfrown:

[EmeraldRose]

Happy New Year's everyone! Here's to the future and all it may hold!:smallsmile:

[Jormengand]

Since when are the people who play D&D social rejects? I find that a very bad stereotype, and not even one that's particular true. Most of the people I know that tend to enjoy D&D and stuff like it, are very well adjusted. Hell, at least a third of them are very social people who party quite a lot and can't walk down a street without someone they know saying something to them.

Well, it's funny how literally everyone I know in real life fits that "Stereotype" and I could even provide some (fairly obvious) reasons why that might be the case.

But please, do continue to be offended by what this D&D player has to say about D&D players.

[comicshorse]

Gotta say the majority of Roleplayers I know are very far from social rejects with careers, spouses and often kids

[Solse]

Thank you :smallsmile: It helps talking about it and if it were too personal I wouldn't post it. I've talked about it some over in RB and on another Forum I frequent.

I'm glad to help. I hope that you start to feel better soon. :smallsmile:

[EmeraldRose]

Gotta say the majority of Roleplayers I know are very far from social rejects with careers, spouses and often kids
Indeed. Andre and I met playing D&D in the back room of a comic book store, so I can say with complete confidence that I have those things. :smallwink:


I'm glad to help. I hope that you start to feel better soon. :smallsmile:
Thank you again. :smallsmile:

[Winter_Wolf]

On a per-incident basis, nothing in 2014 was in the top ten worst things ever in my life, but in aggregate, 2014 was just one big steaming pile of ****, and it was a year that got progressively worse as it went on.

On the other hand, some groundwork has been laid that had better make 2015 a much better year, because if all that crap was for naught, I'm like to have a psychotic break.

[Starwulf]

Well, it's funny how literally everyone I know in real life fits that "Stereotype" and I could even provide some (fairly obvious) reasons why that might be the case.

But please, do continue to be offended by what this D&D player has to say about D&D players.

You should really take a step back and chill and not be so quick with the snarky comments and bad attitude. I didn't say I was offended, I just said that the old "D&D Players are nerds/social rejects" is a bad/outdated stereotype, and that in my experience, wholly untrue. I"m a D&D Player myself, I'm not a social reject, I"m happily married with two kids and plenty of friends, and those friends are very social animals with plenty of friends themselves.

[Mauve Shirt]

The good: I lost 30 pounds and got back to a reasonable weight for my size, and with some luck and hard work I will maintain and improve my level of fitness in 2015. Additionally I got a job I actually enjoy, and I finished the 2nd course in my 6-course Masters degree. So those are some life goals on their way to being met.

The bad: Nothing insurmountable. Certainly nothing as bad as what others in this thread went through this year. I suppose the most dramatic thing is that I got kicked out of my weekly D&D group, and apparently the DM is so alienated by my mere presence that it's straining our social circle of mutual friends. This cuts my social life in half, and unfortunately it's the half with whom I am/was able to interact with on a regular basis.
Oh, I also wrecked my car and had to go to court, and am down several thousand up front from the purchase of a new vehicle and legal costs, and probably tens of thousands over the years because of the cost of insurance and debt associated with aforementioned (used and fairly cheap) vehicle purchase.

2014 could have been much worse than it was. The outcome of the car incident, while pricy, wasn't life-destroying. And at least I'm on the way to positive self image. I suppose my goal for 2015 is to make friends who aren't jackasses, and to attend more rock concerts.