Who You Were, Who You Are: Are You the Same Person You Were Ten Years Ago?
A 60-minute session on the distance between who we were and who we are: old posts we cringe at, dreams we had at fifteen, families who still see the teenager, friends who say we've changed, and the people we swore we'd never turn into. Do people really change, or do we just become older versions of ourselves? Twelve independent cards; open three or four.
The opening question
If the you from ten years ago walked in right now, which is more likely: you'd get along, or you'd find each other a bit annoying?
Everyone in the room answers this in one line before any card is opened. Write the answers down; you will come back to them.
The cards
12 ways into the topic
Each card is independent. Your group votes on which to open, and four or five is plenty for an hour. Behind every card sit three prompts, one at a time, that only appear once it is opened on the board. Unopened cards keep for next time.
- 1
Old Social Media Posts
Your phone shows you a “memory” from ten years ago. It's a post you wrote, with a song lyric and three sad emojis. You want to delete it immediately.
- 2
What You Wanted At Fifteen
At fifteen, you had a plan. Maybe a job, a city, a car, the kind of person you'd marry. Now look at your life today.
- 3
Treated Like A Kid At Home
You're thirty. You pay rent and make big decisions at work.
- 4
Being Told You've Changed
You meet an old friend after years. Halfway through dinner, they lean back and say, “You've changed.” You can't tell if it's a compliment.
- 5
Friends You've Outgrown
There's a school group on your phone. You used to talk every day.
- 6
Becoming Your Parents
You hear yourself say, “Switch off the fan when you leave the room.” You stop. That's your father's line, word for word.
- 7
Giving Someone A Second Chance
Someone hurt you badly a few years ago. Now they're back, saying they're a different person. They seem calmer. They say sorry.
- 8
Starting Over After Thirty
You're thirty-four with a steady job. You want to quit and do something completely different. Your family says, “At this age? Think about the loan.”
- 9
Changing Your Mind
Ten years ago you were sure about something: love, money, religion, politics. You argued for it loudly. Now you believe almost the opposite.
- 10
How Marriage Changes You
Before the wedding, you went out with friends, kept your own hours, maybe had your own surname.
- 11
Going Back To Your Hometown
You go back to the town you grew up in. The old shop is gone. Your friends have moved away. Even your old room feels too small.
- 12
Why People Don't Really Change
At the school reunion, the class clown still makes the jokes. The topper still talks about marks. The bully still interrupts.
The line to leave with
Ten years from now, which part of today's you do you hope is gone, and which part do you hope is still there?
More boards,more ways in.
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