It's in your mental calendar. Every year, the month approaches, then the week, then the day. It's a break, a splinter in your timeline. There was you before the moment, then there was you after that moment. Everything you once were ceases to be, for better or worse, and you have to figure out how to move on from there.
Reddit user, u/flyin_italian, wanted to know about what that moment was when they asked:
What is the event that separates the "B.C. and A.D." of your life?
Let's Get It Right Out Of The Way
Before College and After Debt.
Two completely different lives.
Arguments Are Not Talks
Alcohol.
I lived roughly 15 years of my life drunk as hell, to the point where I have no memory of huge chunks of time.
Two years ago, after months of "talks" (arguments) with my wife, I put down that bottle of vodka and haven't had a sip since.
I'm much more clear-headed, I lost about 20 lbs. pretty quickly, and I've been told that my sober personality is much more laid back, and much less assholey, than my drunk-ass personality.
I'll never go back.
Hands Up For The Divorce Beard
GiphyMy divorce.
Grew a beard, got an entire new set of friends and life has just been better.
Life Comes To A Stop And You Need To Pick Up
Epilepsy diagnosis.
Kicked me out of the air force and paused my aerospace engineering studies. Caused me to meet my soon to be wife.
You Only Have One Dad
Before and after: the death of my father.
He was my best friend.
F*ck cancer.
I'm with you on that, friend. My dad's been gone for just over a year now. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Grueling five-year fight.
Watched the big, strong man that was my dad slowly waste away. F-ck cancer.
Pretending Is Easy
Moving out of my home state.
It's easy to pretend to be an adult when you have family near by.
It's difficult when they live 3000+ miles away.
It's There Forever
before & after my Mom's suicide
Literally about to post exactly this... I feel your pain man.
Life Was "Nat 20's" After That
GiphyThis is going to sound really nerdy, but the night I DMed my first game of Dungeons and Dragons really turned my life around.
I've met so many wonderful people and made so many great friends. I've found a new outlet for my creativity. I've laughed until I couldn't breathe. I've connected with people all over the world. My life took such an unprecedented leap in quality because of the night I foolishly decided that I could DM because I listened to a podcast about it.
The Grass Is What You Make It
I don't know what my acronym would be
I was 43 years old in a loveless marriage and I was out cutting the grass. Mowing the lawn is something that doesn't take a huge amount of concentration so its possible to zone out and think about things that are happening in your life.
I was very unhappy and so was she and I think both of us felt trapped because of everything we had was obtained since we first met. I knew if I left I would take a huge financial hit and at my age there would be no way I would ever be able to make up the loss by the time I was ready to retire.
I was about three quarters of the way done when it began raining. I kept on cutting and I surprised myself by beginning to cry. I looked around and at that moment realized that the house and everything in it wasn't worth feeling like this for the rest of my life. I mourned my marriage and all my stuff and kept cutting and crying.
When I was done I put the mower away, dried off and started moving on with my life.
Its been twenty years and I now have a small house and a small yard. I still cut the grass but never in the rain.