One of the aspects that I love and hate about social media is the memory options they offer.
While you’re scrolling through your news feed, a notification will pop up and ask if you want to see your memories.
It’s usually just a number of posts you’ve made on this day over the years, and I often take the time to look through them.
Last week, I was shocked to see that I had attended my prom nine years ago, and my college graduation was six years ago.
Robynne Henry The Henry Hype
How has so much time gone by without my realizing it? How has it almost been a decade since I last walked the halls of my high school? Has it really been that long since I accepted my diploma for journalism?
It also made me a little sad to see the smiling faces of my classmates and I, and it reminded me of how long it’s been since I’ve seen some of them.
Seeing both of the events made me recall of how terrified I was, although it was overshadowed by the excitement surrounding both days.
I had no idea what my future held, or what I was going to do next.
If you had told me I would be working in rural Alberta for a newspaper years later, I wouldn’t have believed you. Not because I wouldn’t be living in my hometown, they told us in college we’d likely have to move at some point in our career, but because I would be working in the field I had dreamed about being a part of for so long.
I made the decision to become a journalist when I was in Grade 8. Everything I did in my academic career was to get to the place where I am right now, and it didn’t seem attainable when I walked across the stage during my convocation. I was too green, had next to no experience, and didn’t even see myself as an adult at that point.
I may not be friends with a majority of the people standing beside me in the photos, but I’m still close with the ones that matter. I’ve learned more than I could have imagined in all aspects of my life since my prom and graduation, and had experiences I wouldn’t change for the world.
Remembering all of that made me remember why I enjoy looking at the memories when they pop up on social media, even if they do remind me that I’m getting old. It gives me the opportunity to reflect on how much I’ve changed over the years, and all the ways that I’ve grown as a person.
