Snowflake Challenge #5

Challenge #5

Talk about what has improved in your life thanks to fandom.

I can attribute a lot of positive change in my life to fandom. If it weren't for creating and finding common ground among peers, always making something-- I'm really not sure what sort of person I would be. Sometimes I'm unsure if I'd even still be here if it weren't for it. I grew up in a very difficult environment, and did not have much access to the outside world or social areas because of the way I was raised. Making friends was difficult with a caretaker that would do anything in their power to get rid of them as soon as they were introduced as a way to have control over me.

Growing up, fandom was a true escape for me, and a way for me to actually make and keep friends. Sure they had to be kept secret when I was younger, but as I got older it proved to me that there was so much more than what was out there just right in front of me. I'm still friends with one of the people I met over 15 years ago, and I'm so thankful for him every single day. Fandom has been an outlet and a sanctuary for me for so long, I don't plan on ever getting out of it. I hope I'm posting about the cute band boys and cartoon yaoi that I like when I'm much further up in my years.

I've seen this sentiment expressed by many others as well, and I think it's really something special that we as humans, as creatures can come together and collaborate and hold hands over things like this. Makes me very emotional.