So here it is. A little over 45 days and 13 hours, I shall leave the realm of the 20-somethings. As this supposed start of greymuzzle status approaches, I have a lot of thoughts going through my brain. Some are the usual concerns on whether this will be the year I find a good career and love after so long a drought. A great many though actually pertain to this fandom. It is regrettable that it was not until late 2009/early 2010 that I started to really consider myself a furry. I was at the time 26 going onto 27. Did I wait too late to embrace this side of me? I have to wonder at times. For though I still love it and the people I met here, I have to entertain the notion that in some aspects it may be outgrown. I do know of folks who've remained furry their whole life. Heck some even have big families now but it just seems at times the exception and not the rule. Especially in those cases though where the person holds to his/her furriness, the crushing responsibility of life can crush upon it. I hate to admit that I am jealous but of a few younger folk in this fandom I am so. I hear of all the traveling and all the conventions gone to and my heart sinks a bit because once again, it will most likely be the case I will miss out on all this again for trying to be a responsible adult and finish grad school and hopefully land a career. Even if that gets accomplished, how long? How long will it be before it is acceptable for me to do more of the con thing? As much as I love this fandom, I can't allow myself to get in deep debt for it. There are bigger priorities and quite frankly, there are some in the fandom I feel need to realize this badly. Life can't be strictly about attending every con one can in a year! More over I feel there are some that need to learn to define themselves rather than be defined by what the status quo of the fandom says they should be. It is your own self that should determine who you love, where you go, what your views are, and whatever faiths and values you may hold, not for what one perceives the fandom expects. For starters, the fandom is not one homogeneous entity. Just as there are a great variety of different folk in this world of ours, so too is the case with the furry fandom. Will these different identities sometimes clash with each other, most definitely! But we can still be respectable of each others differences and be civil. Not at each others' throats all the time over petty differences. Sorry of that long aside but that's been bottling up in me for quite some time after my own personal observances of what this fandom truly is, for good and for bad. I am grateful for all the wonderful people I have gotten to know this past year. There's a more than a few of you I've gotten acquainted with that I hope to get to know better in 2013. I don't want it construed that I feel this is an irresponsible and divisive fandom. This is an awesome fandom with so many different people of so many different walks of life. I just want us all to be sure as we go into 2013 that we don't let these differences become points of derision but rather mutual respect. I close with a plea that all keep  taiko_shepherd in your thoughts and prayers what have you. Not divulging details. I don't even know all the details but it would seem after last night, the gshep and his family could use some good vibes so do send them his way. Also as always, GO DAWGS! Maul them Cornhuskers!:P