life and lifting and stuff

I miss the “golden era” of Tumblr. For me, that’s the people who joined Tumblr around the time of Fall 2010-Spring 2011.

I miss the days when everyone was traveling to destinations to meet up with a bunch of “randoms they met on the Internet” and had a blast. I travelled to Conway fricking Arkansas to run a half marathon and wore a t-shirt with Zoolander on it. I watched a guy take on “The Burrito Challenge” in which he ate three or something burritos and ran miles or laps (I forget). I enjoyed following along as another guy in California ran six marathons in six months. I donated to St. Jude’s because some people ate a ridiculous amount of pancakes. I ran a Christmas 5k with an introvert and proceeded to eat her pancakes << not an euphemism. We made friends in Chicago…and had a hell of a time running that marathon. We ran and worked out…we put lip sync videos together. I made bad song parodies. We read about a couple of Brits “coming to America”. Wbaw sold some t-shirts. People did epic shit.

If you were not on Tumblr during that era I’m sorry. You really missed out. Sure, people are still doing epic things but I miss a lot of those people. I miss those stories. I miss those people. But like all good things…they have to come to an end. I think Tumblr is a place for people to go, figure some shit out, and move on. It’s like a cross between college and rehab. You come do your crazy shit, talk through it, work stuff out, then you graduate and move on. You may one back from time to time but it’s not the same. You’re the alumnus to a fresh group of people who are “the new class”. They have their own thing and their own jokes…and all we can do is say “remember the time when __________?”

Tumblr 10’-12’ was so much a part of life with friends, influence, encouragement, support… I even met my wife from tumblr. (Imagine how that would have gone if we didn’t have replies @staff? It wouldn’t. You could be preventing a future tumblr marriage right now. Insert appropriate ‘for shame’ gif here.)

I can’t say my slow fall from tumblr is because the community has changed so much - it’s not the same as it was and that’s life - but it’s mostly because of me. I’ve changed. I’m not doing my part. I miss the guy I was then as much as I miss all the tumblrs that were a part of helping that me through a tough journey to a place of health and happiness.

To be honest - I need it again. I feel like I’m back at square 1… but it’s different now. I know the path. What’s ahead. The struggle busses to come. The abandoned wagons. The group wagons. The wagons with the little girl raging out of control, down a hill and into the woods. The milestones… it doesn’t make it easier. It’s like beating a game then playing it again on the harder difficulty setting (for my nerds).

While it will be another long, tough journey, it’ll never be as fun as it was circa 10’-12’… making friends and writing peace songs because some tumblrs are tough to win over and going to meet ups to run and never to just get together and hangout and driving hours and hours to hop in a car and drive more hours with people you’ve never met to meet more people you’ve never met yet it all feels like friends you’ve known for years and crazy Boston lady run and jump hug you like it’s your best friend you’ve never met… but maybe it’s time for something new. Not better, but maybe just different and hopefully just as good.