Theme Week: The VHL and Me 15 Years Ago to Now

[DoktorFunk 810]

So this is the VHL at 15, eh? I cannot believe something like this has had this much consistency. Don’t get me wrong, I love this league. But when you consider the advances in technology and games, you would think there would be something that scratches that particular community itch better than the VHL. The VHL reminds me of people who might still play fantasy football with pen and paper instead of using ESPN or Yahoo: it’s such an old school thing, but if you’re into it, you’re REALLY into it. What’s still the same from 15 years ago? Well, we still use the much maligned Simon T Hockey Sim. I have a little experience with it myself, and I can tell you, it feels way fucking older than 15 years. The web address is still the same. Uh, it still has teams? I’m not sure beyond that. In 2007, I was a sophomore in High School. I didn’t know shit about hockey. I barely talked to people and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life, something that I only figured out recently. What I would define as most of my main passions and character traits hadn’t even emerged yet. But in many ways, I’m still the same person. I joined up in 2018. That was a rough year for me. I had started a job in sales that I came to find out that I hated, I didn’t have a girlfriend or really any romantic prospects, and I had just finished self-sabotaging several friendships. I joined the league because it seemed like a great community, and an established one at that. Learning the “lore” for lack of a better term and getting to see my player grow was incredibly appealing to me. I became even closer with the league after moving in May of 2019. I didn’t know anyone here, and it helped get me through some rough times. And although my interest lagged a little, I knew that a site that had been here for 14 years wasn’t going anywhere. Sure, it seems like the VHL has had some rough times, but it always seemed to make it though it. I knew the old-heads would still be here. I knew that when I returned I would still have friends. And that’s amazing when you think about it. That you can step in and out of an established community of friends and still have it reliably be here. That’s only true in my real life of my closest friends, and it’s pretty cool. I’ve even made friends here that have given me genuine good real-life advice that has improved my life. That’s unreal if you think about how toxic the internet can be! Where will the VHL be in 15 years? Do you think we’ll have finally ditched Simon T? Will another team have dominated because of the meta ( if we’re taking bets, I’m betting on Malmo)? Will anyone still be here? I’m not sure, but that’s okay. I’ve had an incredible time here, and I hope the folks that have spent 15 years of their lives here, or whatever chunk of that it is, have had the same wonderful, fun, sometimes weird and inappropriate experiences that I have.