July 9, 2026 – Reflecting on 17 years of prog

Special thanks to my friend James for the photo collage posted at the top of this entry. Summer of 2009 feels like it was an eternity ago, but I know, in the grand scheme of things, really wasn’t that long in the past. 17 years ago, I was still a preteen, just left elementary school, and was barely old enough to stay home alone. But my transition from childhood to adolescence also coincided with my introduction to prog, which would happen in either late June or early July of 2009, merely weeks following my elementary school graduation. I still vividly remember sitting in the hospital waiting room and listening to “The Wall” while my dad was having his gallbladder removed, desperately trying to decipher the lyrics to “The Trial” as Roger Waters shifted from voice to voice. The “long-haired” photos of me were taken between 2012 and 2014. I’ve come a long way since that bathroom selfie of me in a Tool shirt, but my introduction to Spotify has shown me that I still have way more to discover.

The featured photos only tell a fraction of my prog story, although many of them are among my most cherished memories, because of the happiness I felt in those moments, and because of the people that I met through those moments. And I’m glad to finally be documenting my continued prog journey on this blog. I’d love to continue to build an audience and gain more readers, but I am grateful for the people I currently have who have made the effort to read some of my entries. It makes all the difference knowing that at least one person is looking forward to my next post!