I've always loved writing. I grew up writing short stories, making up characters and plots, and just letting my imagination run wild.
Fiction was my favorite. But in late 1999, I tried my hand at something different and far too "real": chronicling the final 100 days of Planet Earth. You know, just in case.
I was 13 years old and you know how kids are...impressionable. So all the Y2K talk in the media got to my head. I was hoping my words -- if it really was the end -- could serve as an archive of human history, what life was like before the extinction. (And I'm not kidding. I sincerely thought that when I started the project.)
Funny thing is I was documenting what mattered to ME, so it's a rather humorous look into my past (the life of a 13-year-old), and hardly an archive for mankind as I intended.
Jokes aside, it was therapeutic for me in a sense. Every night, the pen and paper helped keep me sane as my mother stocked up on water and food, and the media constantly focused on the implications of Y2K.
A decade later, I thought it appropriate to look back on these entries, which began Sept. 27, 1999. Here are some excerpts, particularly as the "end" drew near.
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Sometimes the entries were so plain and matter-of-fact, it's almost comical.
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999 -- 37 days left:
-Woke up at 7:00 a.m.
-Went to school at 7:40 a.m., dismissed early (because of mass)....8:31 a.m.
-Play practice (music) at school today, 10:30-11:20. I'm Nick, if you didn't know
-Did Language/Religion homework
-I played NFL Quarterback Club 98 (N64) with dad, he was the NY Jets, beat me, the Buffalo Bills, 76-65!
-I watched "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"...again! Last day of that show is tomorrow!
-It's 9:55 p.m. now.... YAWN!!!! Oh, 9:56 p.m. now. Over and out.
For those also from Buffalo, N.Y., one bullet a few days later made it CLEAR it was the 90s:
Sunday, Nov. 28, 1999 --- 32 days left:
-Bills won over the Patriots 17-7, now 8-4! Moulds touchdown, Gash touchdown, Christie field goal.
My family's journey into high-speed Internet (at least "high speed" at the time) was documented.
Saturday, Dec. 4, 1999 --- 26 days left:
Adelphia PowerLink was hooked up today! I tried it! It's sooooo fast and soooo neat! You can listen to any radio station in the world. And, over 1,000 music videos at www.launch.com! Plus the phone line is never tied up. I'm so glad we got this!
Another big moment in my life came a few days later. (It was a crazy time -- with the world ending, might as well do everything at once, you know?)
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 1999 --- 22 days left:
It's in stone now: I'm getting glasses to see better for objects far away. I picked out a really nice brown frame. I am near-sighted.
I'm not going to lie. I was also kind of a loser (I was 13).
Saturday, Dec. 11, 1999 --- 21 days left:
Actually 1:25 a.m. (Sunday) now, just got off the computer. I fought a good fight from 9:30 p.m.-1:18 a.m. in a long, tiring game of Jezzball. I made it to level 35 and totaled up over 2.5 million points. My old record was only 1 million. WOW! What a game. I simply got tired in the end. I have 15 screenshots of the game too! It was so exciting!
Further evidence (but remember! I was only 13)...
Sunday, Dec. 12, 1999 -- 20 days left:
I met someone new today online. Cory and Brett's cousin, Sam. They live in Clarence, NY. They gave me Brett's screenname too.
And since we're talking about AOL instant messenger (the Twitter of the day):
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1999 --- 17 days left:
Got more screennames, now I have 37! i emailed a list of all my screennames to Rob, Cory, Becca, Monica and Danielle F.
I may have been a little obsessed. But with the world ending, wanted to enjoy every last moment with this awesome technology.
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1999 --- 11 days left:
I got Danielle and Robert to download and install AOL IM. Now we can all chat together at once! Rob's new screenname is B0B02000 and Danielle's new screenname is BASKETBAL1393.
On Christmas Day, I listed every Christmas gift I got. Every single one, including the "2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups" and "2 Peanut Butter And Cheese Crackers." I won't bore you with those, but I will tell you about my favorite new gift, NHL 2000.
Saturday, Dec. 25, 1999 --- 7 days left:
Played lots of NHL 2000 Hockey, especially with uncle Brian who was at our house today for Christmas!
Also through NHL 2000 and the Internet, I was able to play people from all over the world. I played 3 games: one against a kid from Toronto (he beat me 6-4), one against a kid from Granby Quebec (he beat me 4-3 in overtime), and then the kid from Quebec again (he beat me 1-0 in overtime).
Excitement grew as the end of the year drew near.
Thursday, Dec. 30, 1999 -- 2 days left:
Can't believe how time flies, New Year's Day is like a blink of an eye away! It's great - I can't wait!
And then...
Friday, Dec. 31, 1999 -- 1 day left:
I spent the last day of the millennium playing on the computer and especially watching the countdown around the world for the year 2000. So far I saw Japan, China, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand enter the new year. They're all still alive. I will watch Russia, Italy, France, England and US very soon.
It's 2:08 p.m. now, only 9 hours, 52 minutes until the year 2000 for us; Buffalo, N.Y. We go to family friends to celebrate the new year and the country. That's it for this millennium, I will not write anymore until the year 2000! GOOD BYE 1999, 1990's, 1900's, EVERYTHING, GOOD BYE!
May the new millennium bring much happiness and great times. Signing off for the 20th century, 2:11 p.m. Good bye!
My first words of 2000 were not genius.
Saturday, January 1, 2000
WOW! ALL I CAN SAY IS SIMPLY, WOW! IT IS 2:02 A.M. NOW. Yes the new millenium. For 16 hours now, I've been watching ABC and the new year marching in for each region.
Ah, to be a kid again.
Just kidding. I like life the way it is now. And tomorrow, Jan. 1, 2010, I won't think backward again. But today, just today --- it's just fun to look back.
By the way, if you're online tonight, quick plug -- you may want to watch the ball drop live in New York.