In 2007 I made an account on Newgrounds. I was a big fan of FUclock and really wanted to review his work. I didn't know that this event would be a defining point in my life.
It's been 10 years since that day. I was 10 years old at the time. Now it is 10 years later. I've celebrated clockday 10 times, I've had 11 birthdays since. On the 28th was my 21st birthday. When I was 11 years old, newgrounds was the world to me. My friends were all I cared about. I hit the first peak of my life. Now I've hit 2 more and newgrounds is simply my home. I return here - it's mine by oath. I do my best to keep it running - even if that is just by donating $5 every month and maybe make a flash every clockday.
Life was simple back then, I was a child. I was meant to grow up one day. I swore that I'd never leave newgrounds "Till I die or it dies" and hoped one day I'd be big in the clock crew. That wasn't how life goes for people though, I needed to get a job one day.
In high school I didn't really think about what I wanted to do. I now knew I was crap at animation so I didn't want to go into that. I enjoyed programming and as a kid wanted to be a game developer so I chose game programming as a goal. I passed all my exams and went into university for it. I hit my 3rd peak as I enjoyed my time with my friends but this fun was inevitably going to end. I would end up working in a job somewhere.
Why was I doing this? I was just walking the path laid out for me. This was just what was expected of me throughout life. What did I need from this? Game programming is fun yes, but is that all I have to look forward to in life? Surely the freedom I have now is the best point in my life. It is for everybody. At the end of this it's just the daily grind with nothing to look forward to. It wasn't for the money either, I just needed that to survive. There's nothing that I really want - nothing buyable at least.
This is the first year of my life with meaning. I found a solution to it all - one that doesn't involve dieing trying to find a land that only arguably exists. My friends don't want the normal life either. We'll work our normal jobs for about 3 years - only untill we have enough to afford land. With that land we will live self sufficiently. We'll build small houses on it. We'll put up power generators. We'll grow our own food. We'll reduce our bills to the point where we don't need more than a small part time job to keep ourselves alive. This is how we'll maintain the freedom we have now.
In 3 years you can expect more from me. Expect me to make more flashes, expect games for once and maybe I'll even write those songs I've been meaning to. All my life I've wanted to be free and now I know how I'll do it. After 10 years on the internet of knowing who I was - I now know what I want to become.
chris-the-stick
wow. this was a beautiful post, my friend!
i love how you've mentioned all of your long trip from 10 years ago, when your first discovered the CC and newgrounds, up to this day, now that you are a young man, ready to carve his own path and to be a FREE person. i honestly admire that.
also, your oath for NG, of ''Till I die or it dies'' is truly amazing, it still moves me emotionally when i see you posting it, because i know it's true.
i live by the same code, and our internet history is kinda similar.
i discovered newgrounds on 2001 after watching a funny flash movie on a random site. the movie linked to: newgrounds.com, and i went there.
back then, the logo of NG said: newgrounds: ''the problems of the future, today!''
i was kinda surprised by the motto of NG back then, but i kept watching its movies, and i played it's cool games for a few months.
i witnessed strawberry's ''B'' movie, but i thought that it sucked, and i ignored it.
then, i saw the assasin games, and some creepy movies, i got scared on NG,and i left. (remember, i was a child back then!).
fast-forward, i return on NG as a lurker on 2003, and i discover some of the first (and best) clockcrew movies: ''sonne'' by avocado clock, ''the Void'' (1+2) by blue clock, FU-clock's ''the clock war'' series, and his comedic ''the FU clock'' movies, and ''lord of the clocks'' by strange clock, to name a few.
i instantly fell in love with the CC. i kept watching their movies non-stop on NG, and i remained a frequent lurker on NG.
another fast-forward: i finally organise my stuff and i join NG officially on 2006. i start reviewing+ faving/5-ing my favorite CC movies, new and old alike.
i notice a new CC series, ''On the bridge'', by radiotube-clock. i review his movies, i talk to him on PM's, and we become friends. i voice act on most of his movies (+i help with ideas), and we are close friends ever since.
im too shy to join the CC on 2006, until the summer of 2007, when radiotube convinces me to join the CC forums.
its been 10 years since i've joined the CC, and 11+ years since i've (officially) joined NG.
it feels like a century, because i have a million memories and thoughts about this.
its a great feeling man, so i know how you're feeling!
i still support NG as much as i can, and the same goes for CC.
some of my best friends are from here, (including you!), and i won't let this place down.
its a great place.