Tweet
Happy 5th Anniversary, AoW!
It isn't that we're better than anyone else. The thing that makes us different is love. We love each other. We care for each other. We stand by each other. Friends are so much. Usually, when people love their friends, they say they're "like family". But that's not true. Friends are so much more. Family is there from the start. You don't choose them, they don't choose you. You don't have to love each other. Brothers fight, parents yell, but you're still family.
Friends are not like family. Friends are a choice in life, one of the best choices. It is true, you don't always choose who you end up friends with, but you do choose to acknowledge them as friends. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, genders, and even species. Family tries to be there for you, and some even try not to be. Friends don't. Friends know when to be there, and when to let you free. Friends cheer you on in their own way. Friends love you, because you love them. Friends make mistakes. Even that friend everyone hates is a part of your love, because you've still chosen them as friends.
It is true, friends will not always be there. At some point, they all leave. You leave. All that once was comes to an end. So why are they that special? Friends don't heal you. They don't make the sick go away. In fact, they do just the opposite. They tear a gash right in your soul and keep making it wider and wider. And then, after sprinkling it with lemon and salt they just leave, without even caring to close the wound. That is precisely why the fact that they leave helps you in some way. Because even when friends are gone. Even when the people that formed your experiences, your interests, your life, simply disappear, that wound will still remain.
It is then up to you to fill that wound with the memories of younger days. It is up to you to put your friends in it. And then, it is up to you to compete with your other friends to see who has the bigger wound. Friends are pain, are love, are sadness and joy, they are words and actions, memories and things you want to forget. Friends are you, and nothing will ever change that.
In this year we've been through good and bad, through love and hate, through countless jokes and tears the same. We stand by each other and that's what counts, so now I say: Happy Birthday, Age of War.
Now if you recognize everything I just wrote, chances are you've been here from the start. Those were my messages for you guys in the first two anniversary videos. And now, look at us, half a decade in. HALF A DECADE. I mean, some of us are going to be heading to college soon, some of us are already in college, and some have jobs and even babies! I can't believe we've made it this far, whether it be in seasons of high number of posts or not, and I'm very extremely glad that we have. You guys are completely amazing, and I love you all so much. I hope you always remember that. This being the fifth year, I wanted to do something with the video, like have a best-of moments from all the past videos, but being the distracted person I am and with college on the way, I haven't gotten around to it. But I will, so if you have any moments from the videos you'd like to see in the fifth year, please let me know.
Now, in a very much remembering kind of fashion, here are the first three anniversary videos (4 since year 2 was split) for you to enjoy if you haven't in a while. Trust me, after some of us recently rewatched them, they can be some amazing pick-me-ups because you guys are all hilarious. You also get to enjoy my cringeworthy young voice-attempts-at-recording, so enjoy.
And finally, here are all the quotes (from you guys) I've used in the videos. They all truly put in words the emotions I'm sure many of us share, so they're always a nice read.
"The community is my home away from home. Everyone here is like, the gr8est and i love all of you holy crap. You're some major cuties and we all just kinda, chill out with one another and it's my mission to meet hopefully all of you so i can tell you in person why you're great and why you're important to me. it'd take me forever to name all the reasons everybody specifically is important to me, but everybody means somethin' special to me, past/present/future members as a whole. uwu" –Ammy
"and i LOVE the AoW community, i dont really roleplay much, but to me its one big family
" –zmanxtreme
"I love the community. It's a tight-knit family that's passionate and caring about each other and others. We're very creative and understanding of everything we do. No matter what the circumstances, the community has always been there for me, as well as others whenever they're needed. When it comes down to it, I'm glad to have this community, this family, as support even despite differences from time to time. Being the owner and one of the two Admins, everyone has become a child of mine in some form or another and I couldn't ask for anyone to be different or better." –Kairu
"I guess I would say that you're my second family, and best people I know.
" –Shadow wing
"The Age of War community is really tight. All the active members know each other pretty well, as well as some of the less active people. You are all an entertaining and humorous crowd, and we have had some fun (and sometimes strange) conversations in the shoutbox. Being a roleplaying site, Age of War is also a very creative place. I have enjoyed roleplaying with you guys and even just reading threads I don't have characters in. Thats the reason I arrived in the first place, the Zelda roleplaying. I actually heard about the site a long while before I actually joined, just because I never got around to it. I'm very glad that I did get around to joining. The welcoming community and the people behind these characters has kept me here. I think that's what has kept most of us here. We have all taken breaks from the site for many different reasons, and earlier this year the site got real quiet, but things seem to have picked up again towards the end of this year. I am looking forward to the stories and memories waiting for us in 2014." –Peeps
"Hmm... Well, I know I can always rely on people on here. If I'm going through something in life, I can depend on people to bolster and encourage me, often without even knowing that I'm feeling down. Plus, everyone on here is so creative. I can always look forward to good posts and great stories, and I especially look forward to seeing people's creativity flow. And when I feel like starting a new character, I know I can find someone more than willing to RP with me. It's always a bundle of fun, and I'm really glad I now have a laptop, so that I can be on here more often. I've missed be able to chat with people for hours on end without interruption.
Here's to another year, Age of War! *salutes with glass of milk*" –HyrulianBlackcat
"Age of War is a good part of me; of all of us. We met on a forum board, and we had a bucketful of laughs. Two bucketfuls! Five gallon buckets. More than that! We've moved, we've fought, we've almost split but we managed to hold together like a bridge of ants. We're fading now, and it almost feels like a part of me is being taken away. I know with school and everything, and growing up its hard to make time, but it's not easy to just forget about everyone either!
Age of War means more to me than anybody will ever understand. The people here helped me though a lot, and put up with my bull****. That's more than a lot of people have done. You guys have give me advice, gotten me out of trouble, and sometimes in a little bit, haha. Sometimes if I sit and think, just how much sh*t I would be in had I not met you guys. Pretty deep man.
Age of War has helped everybody here. Helped them with everything from school to personal problems. The things the community has done have brought us all closer together, and I feel a bit guilty for never quite finishing what I wanted to present to the site. Ok maybe not a bit. Maybe a lot.
Ok yes a lot. But between not having the motivation and school and people, it's just been gathering dust. I think the fabric also came a little too close to an open blue marker and dyed it. Looks pretty neat though.
Age of War is a family. We're a pretty cool crack team of family members but we are what we are. Kairu's like the weird dad I never had, and will probably be a better father than mine. J, Falc, Ell, even Zeke, all brothers man. Midna and HBC are like older sisters, Blendercat is that cousin you can't stand but you know your life wouldn't be the same without.
Sometimes I have flashbacks of the summer nights, and I can't help but laugh. And almost get sent out of class. :I"
-Ammy
"Age of War...is my getaway. It is my vacation outside of my actual vacation. It is the place I can go to talk when no one else can hangout. It is a paradise country that is free from the stress of life, and the biggest problem is people not posting. Age of War is forum paradise."
-ThePrankster(Z64)
"It's where i met all of you. what more reason do i need?"
-Shadow wing
"Age of War is my child. To me, Age of War means everything to me. I will do anything and everything within my powers to keep Age of War alive. Age of War has changed me and my opinions of my internet life. With Age of War, I've matured to a higher level of mentality and have improved my maturity twofolds. It also has opened the door to very basic computer programming and website diagnostics and performance."
-Kairu
"Age of War is an interesting little community of ducks, cats, birds ect."
-Peeps
"Age of War is my escape from my stressful life, and an outlet for my creativity in a way that others can enjoy."
-HyrulianBlackcat
"To me, AoW is a place where a close knit community can come to imagine themselves in the Zelda universe, share thoughts, ideas, worries, etc and make new friends that they will keep for a lifetime."
-Ryli
"Age of war is a place where I can be open minded, and people won't hate me for it."
-StarX
So yes, our numbers have dwindled with time, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone always remembers how amazing this community is, and that no matter what you're going through, we're always here for whatever you need us. Hopefully, we can get back to our old posting habits soon and bring about a reborn and more amazing Age of War than ever before. Here's to getting to a full decade! Please feel free to post with whatever you want to say.
Thanks for everything, AoW, and happy birthday.
Friends are not like family. Friends are a choice in life, one of the best choices. It is true, you don't always choose who you end up friends with, but you do choose to acknowledge them as friends. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, religions, genders, and even species. Family tries to be there for you, and some even try not to be. Friends don't. Friends know when to be there, and when to let you free. Friends cheer you on in their own way. Friends love you, because you love them. Friends make mistakes. Even that friend everyone hates is a part of your love, because you've still chosen them as friends.
It is true, friends will not always be there. At some point, they all leave. You leave. All that once was comes to an end. So why are they that special? Friends don't heal you. They don't make the sick go away. In fact, they do just the opposite. They tear a gash right in your soul and keep making it wider and wider. And then, after sprinkling it with lemon and salt they just leave, without even caring to close the wound. That is precisely why the fact that they leave helps you in some way. Because even when friends are gone. Even when the people that formed your experiences, your interests, your life, simply disappear, that wound will still remain.
It is then up to you to fill that wound with the memories of younger days. It is up to you to put your friends in it. And then, it is up to you to compete with your other friends to see who has the bigger wound. Friends are pain, are love, are sadness and joy, they are words and actions, memories and things you want to forget. Friends are you, and nothing will ever change that.
In this year we've been through good and bad, through love and hate, through countless jokes and tears the same. We stand by each other and that's what counts, so now I say: Happy Birthday, Age of War.
Now if you recognize everything I just wrote, chances are you've been here from the start. Those were my messages for you guys in the first two anniversary videos. And now, look at us, half a decade in. HALF A DECADE. I mean, some of us are going to be heading to college soon, some of us are already in college, and some have jobs and even babies! I can't believe we've made it this far, whether it be in seasons of high number of posts or not, and I'm very extremely glad that we have. You guys are completely amazing, and I love you all so much. I hope you always remember that. This being the fifth year, I wanted to do something with the video, like have a best-of moments from all the past videos, but being the distracted person I am and with college on the way, I haven't gotten around to it. But I will, so if you have any moments from the videos you'd like to see in the fifth year, please let me know.
Now, in a very much remembering kind of fashion, here are the first three anniversary videos (4 since year 2 was split) for you to enjoy if you haven't in a while. Trust me, after some of us recently rewatched them, they can be some amazing pick-me-ups because you guys are all hilarious. You also get to enjoy my cringeworthy young voice-attempts-at-recording, so enjoy.
And finally, here are all the quotes (from you guys) I've used in the videos. They all truly put in words the emotions I'm sure many of us share, so they're always a nice read.
"The community is my home away from home. Everyone here is like, the gr8est and i love all of you holy crap. You're some major cuties and we all just kinda, chill out with one another and it's my mission to meet hopefully all of you so i can tell you in person why you're great and why you're important to me. it'd take me forever to name all the reasons everybody specifically is important to me, but everybody means somethin' special to me, past/present/future members as a whole. uwu" –Ammy
"and i LOVE the AoW community, i dont really roleplay much, but to me its one big family
" –zmanxtreme"I love the community. It's a tight-knit family that's passionate and caring about each other and others. We're very creative and understanding of everything we do. No matter what the circumstances, the community has always been there for me, as well as others whenever they're needed. When it comes down to it, I'm glad to have this community, this family, as support even despite differences from time to time. Being the owner and one of the two Admins, everyone has become a child of mine in some form or another and I couldn't ask for anyone to be different or better." –Kairu
"I guess I would say that you're my second family, and best people I know.
" –Shadow wing"The Age of War community is really tight. All the active members know each other pretty well, as well as some of the less active people. You are all an entertaining and humorous crowd, and we have had some fun (and sometimes strange) conversations in the shoutbox. Being a roleplaying site, Age of War is also a very creative place. I have enjoyed roleplaying with you guys and even just reading threads I don't have characters in. Thats the reason I arrived in the first place, the Zelda roleplaying. I actually heard about the site a long while before I actually joined, just because I never got around to it. I'm very glad that I did get around to joining. The welcoming community and the people behind these characters has kept me here. I think that's what has kept most of us here. We have all taken breaks from the site for many different reasons, and earlier this year the site got real quiet, but things seem to have picked up again towards the end of this year. I am looking forward to the stories and memories waiting for us in 2014." –Peeps
"Hmm... Well, I know I can always rely on people on here. If I'm going through something in life, I can depend on people to bolster and encourage me, often without even knowing that I'm feeling down. Plus, everyone on here is so creative. I can always look forward to good posts and great stories, and I especially look forward to seeing people's creativity flow. And when I feel like starting a new character, I know I can find someone more than willing to RP with me. It's always a bundle of fun, and I'm really glad I now have a laptop, so that I can be on here more often. I've missed be able to chat with people for hours on end without interruption.
Here's to another year, Age of War! *salutes with glass of milk*" –HyrulianBlackcat"Age of War is a good part of me; of all of us. We met on a forum board, and we had a bucketful of laughs. Two bucketfuls! Five gallon buckets. More than that! We've moved, we've fought, we've almost split but we managed to hold together like a bridge of ants. We're fading now, and it almost feels like a part of me is being taken away. I know with school and everything, and growing up its hard to make time, but it's not easy to just forget about everyone either!
Age of War means more to me than anybody will ever understand. The people here helped me though a lot, and put up with my bull****. That's more than a lot of people have done. You guys have give me advice, gotten me out of trouble, and sometimes in a little bit, haha. Sometimes if I sit and think, just how much sh*t I would be in had I not met you guys. Pretty deep man.
Age of War has helped everybody here. Helped them with everything from school to personal problems. The things the community has done have brought us all closer together, and I feel a bit guilty for never quite finishing what I wanted to present to the site. Ok maybe not a bit. Maybe a lot.
Ok yes a lot. But between not having the motivation and school and people, it's just been gathering dust. I think the fabric also came a little too close to an open blue marker and dyed it. Looks pretty neat though.
Age of War is a family. We're a pretty cool crack team of family members but we are what we are. Kairu's like the weird dad I never had, and will probably be a better father than mine. J, Falc, Ell, even Zeke, all brothers man. Midna and HBC are like older sisters, Blendercat is that cousin you can't stand but you know your life wouldn't be the same without.
Sometimes I have flashbacks of the summer nights, and I can't help but laugh. And almost get sent out of class. :I"
-Ammy
"Age of War...is my getaway. It is my vacation outside of my actual vacation. It is the place I can go to talk when no one else can hangout. It is a paradise country that is free from the stress of life, and the biggest problem is people not posting. Age of War is forum paradise."
-ThePrankster(Z64)
"It's where i met all of you. what more reason do i need?"
-Shadow wing
"Age of War is my child. To me, Age of War means everything to me. I will do anything and everything within my powers to keep Age of War alive. Age of War has changed me and my opinions of my internet life. With Age of War, I've matured to a higher level of mentality and have improved my maturity twofolds. It also has opened the door to very basic computer programming and website diagnostics and performance."
-Kairu
"Age of War is an interesting little community of ducks, cats, birds ect."
-Peeps
"Age of War is my escape from my stressful life, and an outlet for my creativity in a way that others can enjoy."
-HyrulianBlackcat
"To me, AoW is a place where a close knit community can come to imagine themselves in the Zelda universe, share thoughts, ideas, worries, etc and make new friends that they will keep for a lifetime."
-Ryli
"Age of war is a place where I can be open minded, and people won't hate me for it."
-StarX
So yes, our numbers have dwindled with time, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone always remembers how amazing this community is, and that no matter what you're going through, we're always here for whatever you need us. Hopefully, we can get back to our old posting habits soon and bring about a reborn and more amazing Age of War than ever before. Here's to getting to a full decade! Please feel free to post with whatever you want to say.
Thanks for everything, AoW, and happy birthday.
Comment