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About This Website

"I'm confused. I read the welcome page and I'm still not sure why I'm here and why this is a thing..."

That's fine! I always thought that personal web pages were super cool. Back when Neopets was a thing, I wanted to learn html after seeing people's custom shops, but I never really had the patience to learn it (honestly, I probably still don't, but I'll try my best!) I like keeping up with friends and family on various social media, but the Neocities creator puts it well, "We are tired of living in an online world where people are isolated from each other on boring, generic social networks that don't let us truly express ourselves. It's time we took back our personalities from these sterilized, lifeless, monetized, data mined, monitored addiction machines and let our creativity flourish again." I miss when people made and posted things just for the sake of it. Just, "Hey, look what I made!" sort of thing with no expectation that anyone will care or look at it.

So my name is Damon. The sun is gently setting on my 20s, but I was born at a very young age. I was actually briefly the youngest person alive. Here is an attempt at a truncated accounting of events leading up to my thirties:

  1. Be born Autumn of 1994. Very hot, very dry. Middle of nowhere in the desert. Military family, but actually there for a while. Shy and quiet kid general love for cartoons and video games. (grew up with SNES, Gameboy Color, and N64)
  2. Moved to the mountains when I was in the 3rd grade. Pine trees, deer, and snow in our backyard for the first time. Much of the same loves as other millenials; Pokemon, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Space Cadet Pinball, Solitaire, Minesweeper,razor scooters, Beyblades, Yugioh, Digimon
  3. Pretty awkward middle schooler. Still very shy and quiet. Found out I really enjoy playing music. Wanted to play sax but tiny hands so clarinet. Bassoon in the 8th grade was fun.
  4. Honestly, high school band was the highlight of my high school experience. Marching band kind of throws you into the mix with all sorts of people, and I feel like it got me out of my shell a bit. Good times. Really smack dab in the middle academically and socially, but I never really felt concerned about being somewhere inbetween. Not really a great student (I actually failed a semester of Calculus...) but still making honor roll a few times. Not bullied or a complete social outcast, not really "popular"
  5. After graduating, ended up moving to Wyoming to study music. Thought about trying to be a teacher some day, but wasn't a great student. Met many really amazing people and learned a lot about just being a part of the world. Even got to travel and play music in interesting places.
  6. Somewhere along the way I got my first job working in a grocery store. Somewhat forces you to learn some social skills. Got to live with interesting people thoughout college and just working. Eventually moved over to the pharmacy in the store and really have just been vibing ever since.
I'm not so sure where I should go from here. I've been really blessed so far in life and I'm sure I often take that for granted. Nothing ever stays the same, yet it always is how it is. Things feel like they just fall into place the way that they fall. Life always seems to happen how it happens even if you try to slow it down. There will always be both tough days and beautiful days we'll remember for the rest of our lives and I am excited to experience all of it.

hats4cats circa August 31, 2024