Well for what it counts for, welcome back. I hope you are able to find those friends that you are looking for and that you are able to overlook the fandoms more eccentric side.

Thank you. I hope I do too, but I'm honestly not sure where or how to go about making friends, aside from commenting and replying.

Again for what it is worth I'm always up for talking to people and trying to make friends. I do a lot of gaming on the PC so if you ever want to grab a quick game of w/e ( I don't play CoD ) my Skype is pitviper11

Well, i don't do Multiplayer PC gaming sadly, I usually prefer to game alone, because I'm usually playing something sandboxy like Skyrim or Minecraft. I also don't use skype too often. I use Trillian and it doesn't allow me to add Skype users, so I usually forget to log into my skype.

I haven't forgotten you. I've become unfortunately massively backlogged on both submissions & journals since late 2010, butI still recall every last person I've watched on this site.

I've also become aware of a REALLY good filter for FA. It's buggy and not at its full potential, but it definitely is something that you should probably use if you want to keep from even seeing journals, submissions, shouts and/or comments that has the potential to piss you off. The link to it is in this journal, but I thought you might want to see what some others have said about the program besides myself:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4592965

Ohhh, I didn't know anything like this existed! Thanks! I'll be sure to check it out when I've got some time!

That's pretty impressive... I admit when I came back I'd forgotten half the artists I watch and about 25% of their art all started to look the same. I think I returned to about 2,000 or more submissions, but I skimmed them all at least. Seeing that art was part of why I returned. I can't explain it, but passing the porny stuff, FA art refreshes and inspires me more than the stuff I watch on DA, even if it's more samey here. Maybe it's because FA fits my niche of what I draw. Here, people aren't as pretentious and don't stick their nose up at "cartoons."

There was another version that was around a few years ago, but it was not as easy to pick up on. This one is easy to use on the instant and is admirably impressive in doing it's job.

One of the other features that I know a lot of people will love about it is that it filters multiple submissions by a single individual that are on a single page into 1, like a folder system.

People that are quick to hold up the typical Red Card to Furry-related art due to is seeming "Cartoony" are just Troglodytes with an inferiority complex. They see something that is related to an animal and are quick to assume it must be for jovial origins, but they have no real competent reason as to why they believe in such nonsense. Animals were used as guides for creating multitudes of Martial Art techniques in the Asian Culture while also being seen as Deities in multiple Middle-Eastern Cultures. I can gambit my soul that any person that so much as flips a finger at Furry art has an item in their possession that has an animalistic appearance and or feature. Lets not forget the multitudes of Animal-related one-liners, songs & the like. They are just 1D in thinking and show a huge lack of creativity & diversity. Human-based drawings can easily become far beyond borish and predictable because they possess yay so much to work with. Perfect example would be to look at the Silver Screen and tell how many of the films have easily predictable character designs, flaws, strengths, and foreseeable outcomes that are comparable to nearly every other before and after it.

This actually goes back to a journal I saw about a person that hated Furries that had a Change of Heart due to what a certain Furry did at a Star Trek convention. Here's the article: http://aceofgeeks.blogspot.ca/2013/.....earned-to.html

I had a really well-typed reply I was going to post to that article when I first read it, but it got erased before I could post it. But to summarize it up, Star Trek does the one thing that People in this world constantly fail to gain: Unity. Sure they have battle clashes, but they are constantly trying to gain peace with everything in the universe and not just themselves. That's why they have different Species in the Federation. Even Klingons made it in, and they are regarded as one of the most violent & savage creatures in that universe. If they would take the time to see the beauty of the Furry culture instead of doing the same stupid nonsense they classify Homosexuals/Lesbians populous under, they would be less pretentious and far more open-minded. No one can claim they are open-minded to acceptance if they are quick to assume with very little to no personal knowledge or exposure to that which they are hasteful to label.


Sorry for the long rant.

Well, I think we may be talking about two different groups of people. i was mainly talking about the contemporary fine art culture we live in, where the ideal art should be abstract and not easily readable or recognizable so the viewer must time time to unravel the meaning and message of the piece. Coming from art college, I can understand all that, even if it's not my cup of tea. However, the modern ideal that art should be abstract and not literal, means that comics, illustrations, and other forms of design are made to look either like "low-brow entertainment" or as commercial... stuff, that can't be called art. While I admit, cartoons and a lot of illustrative and concept work is technically "low brow" next to what you see in fine art (and understand, I'm talking about this from an art perspective... yes a game or comic might be deep and intellectual, but it's still instantly understandable and readable to the majority of people, where fine art usually requires developing ones ability to read art), I think looking at design art like it's fine art is wrong. There's a skill in designing, in creating. Comics require knowledge of art and the culture it's intended for.

Basically I get tired when people think cartoons, anime, manga or any illustrative art has no meaning, and thus doesn't matter. While I may not be able to have conversations about fine art and the intricacies of design principles with the people/furs on FA... at least I'm with people that know how to enjoy art just because it looks good. Here, a good artist is a clear artist, someone who can communicate a scene clearly.

Concerning the types you're talking about... well I could go on about that for quite a while. I think you run the risk of looking just like those that are quick to turn their nose up at furry art when you talk about them all as being of one mind. I do know some artists that don't get why anyone would have an anthro character unless it was a plot point, and it's not that they hate furries, they just prefer human art. I'm also not sure that those that hate furry art also believe that people have no ties to animals. Every culture in the world has ties to animals, animal gods, animal named things... lots of cultures dressed up as animals for rituals, I think a lot of people are aware how much animals penetrate our life and culture. But maybe I've just not met these types you're talking about. Most people I meet just "don't get it"... the worst are the religious nutters, but I've only heard of those, never run into one.

I'd like to go on, but I need to go to bed! :( I'll try and read that article... I hope I at least hit some points of the discussion...

No, we're good on this topic. I was actually covering 2 sides at one time.

There's no need to worry, I'm not that kind of pretentious. I'm just saying that people should be subjective as well as objective, so they don't seem one-sided. It's easy to see something from your own Point-of-view, but not so from the oppositions unless you're willing to do so. It's why I keep a Neutral state-of-being.

Glad to have you back. Looking forward to your contributions to the scene :3

Thanks, although I'm not sure it'll be a big or impactful contribution. But the idea of contributing at all is... heart warming? I'm not sure of the right word. On places like DA and even in art college, it's easy to feel like a nobody that's worth nothing, like you bring nothing anyone wants to the table. I'm hoping that will be different on FA. I guess we'll see.

Now that I'm not on dA, it is good to see your drawings again.

:P Well sadly I'm only uploading what I consider the "best" or "suitable" art from the past 3 years. Everything's uploaded now, I don't think much of it is stuff you haven't seen before.

I'm not yet sure if I'll submit everything new here that I do to DA or not. I've got a lot of school art to show, and it's all pretty abstract.

Well now, here's a name to conjure by! Jetyra! Last time I saw you, you were recovering from back surgery. I hope you're better now.

And I see that you're not watching me. I don't blame you; you'd mostly see the kind of crap that drove you away the last time; erotica, (when I do have something to post), and journals "amping" other users' cries for help. Tell you what, if it annoys you that I'm still watching you, I'll un-watch you as soon as is convenient, probably within a day or so. Just let me know, here or in a PM. I promise not to get mad. But I liked you then and I still want to like you now. I don't even know why, I just do.

Dotter! It's been a long time. I'm doing well, recovery was pretty hard but life's looking up for me. I've gotten into an art college and made new friends, sadly, none of them are really into anthro/furry in any sense.

I only unwatched 2 or 3 people, one was a group account that was making irregular updates of art of varying quality, the other one was an artist that had left and the last one... well... to be frank their art no longer really interested me. I don't think I was watching you to begin with, and I hope you don't take offense that I don't. I mainly watch people for the art they make, but I may change my mind on that.

Naw, you don't have to unwatch me unless you want too. If I was ever peeved about that sort of thing in the past, I'm not at all now. I've come to realize that FA is a place that people come to show a side of them they can't in real life, and that's sort of what I'm here to do too. There's opinions and ideas and truths about myself that I can't mention or show in public without being branded weird... even if that's something as mild as liking an Anthropomorphic Animal pen and paper RPG. But I'm rambling. My point is, I'm fine with people being who they are on their page. It only bugs me when it starts to intrude into my space unwarranted.

Also, took a brief look at your gallery and all I saw were Con pictures, that's hardly porn :P I didn't browse your journals but unless you buy a ferarri and need money for the bills and you come begging to me for cash, I don't care. It's all good. Live and let live. I wasted a lot of energy sticking my nose into the business of others, and whining about things when I could have been productive... part of that was because I didn't have many options available other than to sit in front of a computer all by myself for days on end... but now I've got a working body and a new life. I still have my moments, but I'm working past it.

:P And I've rambled. Sorry. It's just good to see some familiar faces here.

I write erotic stories, so just avoid those in my gallery, plus any of my journals with subjects that start "Please Help This." I'm glad that I'm still welcome in our online "life," (or however you want to think of it.) Art college, that's great! Your art is already pretty good, with training you'll excel, I know! I'm really happy to hear that you're pursuing it. And I'm glad to hear that your back is in good shape, finally and that you're feeling happier with yourself. Your current opinion of FA is obviously informed by a more positive view, that's very encouraging.

You don't need to watch me; if I don't create things you want to keep track of, it makes no sense to. I'll keep an eye on you instead! It's good to have you back Jetyra.

To be fair, I don't have anything against helping people that need it. I've been lucky, I live in Canada so my back surgery was covered, and I've even gotten government funding for some of my schooling that I don't have to pay back because I have ADHD, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am. But I know people that aren't so well off. I know, or know of people where a $20 donation can mean the difference between having a home or not, or having food or not. I just have an issue when I see someone asking for money after they've been a dumbass for the 49305th time. Sometimes people mess up... that's okay... but when it becomes habit? When the person is buying PS3 games and then begging for food and rent money? No.

I've got to say, I'm in a bit of a gloomy spot right now with life, actually. I've tried really hard to get a summer job, and I only got one interview, which was today, and it went rather badly. I don't think the owner liked me, or he wasn't having a good day. My dog hasn't been well, and he's getting worse (old age), and I haven't seen my friends for 2 weeks... there's a bunch of other little things, all in all I'm actually rather depressed as of writing this, I won't lie. I haven't been this low for quite a few months. But in the long run, life has been good.

Perhaps it's just the current depression, but I'm not sure if I agree about being good at art ;). I feel I'm not consistent. I'd like to be able to sit down and draw something and have it look as good as what I drew before... but it sort of ranges. I guess I'm good for a hobbyist, but I'm one of the less talented artists in most of the design program. Being not at good doesn't bother me as much as the fear that I may never catch up or at least keep pace with them. I wonder if I'm practicing enough over the summer, but I don't think I am. Unlike most of the artists at my college though, I have a lot of hobbies. Aside from art I also write and rp, and I've started an RPG campaign too. I also try to ride my bike and lift a few weights when i can, and I like to garden so I'm outside... doesn't leave a lot of room to get really good at art, but I try and console myself by telling myself that my writing ability might be the edge to get me a job that they might not be able to fill... who knows though.

It's good to hear someone say that. It's been a rough week of let downs, and I was starting to feel like no one really noticed me or wanted me around, or that I had somehow managed to annoy everyone out there. Thanks for the kind words

Aw, you're welcome, Jetyra. I'm sorry to hear that your week has been so disappointing and annoying. I hope it gets better. I'm not surprised that you're having trouble finding a job, though. Banks ad stock markets notwithstanding, the job market is pure crap these days. Oh sure, the economy has added thousands of new jobs -- McJobs, poorly-paying service sector jobs that you need two or three of just to pay bills. All the good-paying jobs have been shipped out to bad-paying countries like Bangladesh. Well, except up at Fort McMurray, maybe.

If memory serves, you're Albertan; Edmonton, Calgary? I live just outside Toronto please don't hit me. I try to avoid helping users who really are perpetual beggars, but you can't always tell. I'd rather err on the side of caution and ask for help for somebody who doesn't need it than snub somebody who's having a string of bad luck and maybe couldn't take it. (Sahtori, for instance; she feels like a thief, but she has evidence and she makes it publicly available. I've seen it and decided to trust the poor kid.) Hey, one day it might be me...

You have trouble with consistency in the quality of your art and you have ADHD... could there be a link?

I hope so too. What makes it all the worse is that next Wednesday is my birthday. I've had a string of bad birthdays, and it's sadly looking like it might be crummy this year too. Maybe it'll start looking up... I take some solace in knowing I've been to the other side of the fence, the side where there is no depression. So at least now that I'm a bit older, I know that this isn't how it's going to be forever, and remembering that does make it a bit more bearable.

Honestly, all I'm looking for is a "McJob" (which is an awesome word that I think I'm going to use from now on) for the summer. I just want a bit of money in my pocket to help pay for the new computer I need, and maybe have some for a bit of spending... or maybe I'll just save it for my student loans. But I have to say, it hurts my self esteem more that I can't even get a job in the downtown seedy Mcdonalds that's hiring... or the 15 other places I tried. I'm a high grade student and a hard worker, i can't help but feel like *I'm* somehow flawed or doing something wrong. Everyone tries to tell me that it's not me, it's just that no one is looking for summer work. But I'm not used to being in a situation where I can't learn and train and reap the rewards... I'm used to the school world, where the person who studies and who practices is rewarded...

I'm in Calgary. I'm surprised you remember that I'm from Alberta that's pretty awesome. I've heard that we have a better job situation than the east. There are a lot of hiring signs, but oh well I guess. At least I'm not in a situation where I NEED the money. I live with my parents. If anything, my folks are much softer about the job thing than I am. They almost think I should just take it off and enjoy it, but I really didn't want to get lazy, I wanted to have something to keep me on my toes until school started again... something to keep me from sinking back into depression because I have too much time to think.

I guess that's true. You don't always know. Although I have seen people openly give the examples I think I've stated. i was quite gobsmacked. I supposed their honesty should be applauded, but the reasons had me quite aghast. I guess I've just personally known so many moochers, the kind that twist your arm or try to guilt you for money for luxury items, that I'm still icy to some of it out of a knee jerk reaction. I suppose even those that ill use their money need money in a way. But it might be better if the money goes to counseling or a system is made that it goes directly to where it NEEDS to go and it doesn't accidentally start buying the person a new PS3 game ;).

My ADHD does actually affect my art, but in a round about way. I don't know how much about ADHD you know. I'm essentially going through life with a brain that has a piece of it that didn't develop past that of a small child's. So, imagine a child of 4 or 5 being expected to have the same focus and discipline of an adult... The main issues I have is doing what I don't want to do, or what I'm scared to do. Sometimes I'm so scared of drawing something bad, I don't, and I won't for months... and then I start drawing it again, and I have to relearn it, which means the results are uneven. But, to be fair, I'm also talking about full body figures, which are sort of a hard thing to get consistent. And also to be fair, I didn't get time to draw bodies in College 9That'll be this next year), i did mainly graphic design, so I'm shaking off the rust from that. The other thing about ADHD is if I try and force myself to do something, my brain will actually make itself sleepy, and I'll fall asleep if i don't stop pushing myself. I'm on medication, but it's short acting, so some days I don't take it at the right time and I have to go without it. Thankfully it doesn't hinder me TOO much in life. Most people don't know I have it because I do so well in school. But I was also gifted with a robust processor. So, while I may have almost no working memory, the other parts of my brain seem to make up for it, instead of going to working memory, important info is instantly processed and stored in my long term memory, making me able to learn things fast and recall them better than my peers... sadly some info doesn't get processed, and it's lost in seconds.... it's a weird, I can remember things super well, yet forget some things in the moment they're told to me.

I'm rambling, sorry. i think the hardest part of ADHD, is that I often forget that it DOES make life hard. I'm so well adapted to life, that I don't think I have an disabilities, and in a way I don't have it that bad, but my life IS harder than someone without ADHD. Other artists can draw whenever... I pretty much have to do it on medication or I go off to play a video game. I used to do it without medication, but that was before Youtube and Facebook and before I had my own video game system and all that. I really need to be kinder to myself when I do less than others. One friend sent me a Courage Wolf meme that said "Doctor told me I was ADD... Good! I like playing on Legendary Mode!" :) I try and think of it like that, rather than a bad thing.

Sorry for taking three days to reply. I tend to feel overwhelmed after what I'm dealing with reaches a certain size. I wanted all my concentration to be on this one thing so that I could deal with it. And life's been a little weird lately... anyway!

I won't try to comfort you any more about having difficulty with job search, since everybody else you know is doing that and it doesn't seem to help. I haven't watched you applying, so as far as I know you might be doing something wrong. I'm no expert, goodness knows. It seems as if employers expect job searchers to be experts at advertising themselves, If such specialized knowledge was common knowledge, nobody would need agencies, now would they? And why would somebody hire a sales agent or a copy writer to flip burgers or drive a truck or sling SQL scripts? The sad part is that you obviously have a strong work ethic, which is what employers should want. Instead, it seems they hire the seeker with the flashiest resume or the nicest smile. It makes no sense!

BTW, I wish I could take credit for "McJob," but I heard the term on the radio years ago. Feel free!

I wouldn't normally remember the physical location of an Internet friend, since the odds I'll ever be in the same place as them are pretty slim. Even if I ever am, it's not likely to come up. With other Canadian Furries I make more of an effort because it matters to getting along. Our nation binds us together, but our regions split us apart, it takes a little extra sensitivity sometimes. For instance, if I knew any Newfie Furs, the only "newfie jokes" I'd think of around them would be Mercer or 22 Minutes. (Did you know Rick Mercer was a high school drop out? And he's got a top-rated TV show! Goofy newfies my foot!) With BC Furries OTOH I'm a little extra polite and patient. For some reason BCers seems to have short tempers and long egos. Not all of them, of course; I don't pretend to understand it, I just deal with it.

BTW, "gobsmacked" is one of my favourite Briticisms. Where did you find it?

I have to confess, most of what I know about ADHD I just learned from you. I should learn more for myself really, many of my friends have that or high-functioning autism. I'm glad you've been able to make a strength of your problem. I could never tell just what before, but I always thought there was something extraordinary about you. About your tendency to avoid tasks that you're afraid of or don't want to do; is it the emotional component that causes you to avoid? Do you have trouble with emotional control, too? I was wondering if relaxation techniques might help; focusing on the task rather than the feelings, re-directing your attention onto productive thoughts. But if I understand correctly, that's exactly how your brain is weak, isn't it? So that wouldn't work for you. (Mostly I'm asking whether I understand you correctly.)

Sorry if this is too long. You did give me a lot to deal with. I like you, Jetyra. You're worth extra effort. I'm just sorry again for taking so long.

I usually try not to ramble on too long in comments, because a big wall 'o text can scare people off. Don't worry about the time it took to respond, I'm used to it, and I do it myself.

Too true about job agencies and all that. I think I apply as well as you can. I approach with a smile and politely ask about jobs, and I leave a resume. I try to avoid shopping when I'm handing out resumes, but there's been once or twice that it was unavoidable. Even though I have people around me to help me, none of them are the greatest teachers. My parents in particular seem to assume that job searching is something everyone is born knowing, so when I tell them that X or Y happened, they sort of look at me and say "well yeah, that's what happens". Even if I corner them on the topic, they just sort of say "oh... job interviews? Well... they interview you and ask you questions." and that's sort of it. So I'm sort of on my own in the dark with this sadly. It's maybe made worse by getting information after the fact. And I've gotten turned around because I have some people telling me to do this, and other's telling me that whatever I do, DON'T do that. It's one big headache all around.

I usually only remember the country someone's in, and usually only if they're someone I talk to often enough, unless they live somewhere REALLY interesting. I never really thought that location might impact how someone acts if I'm honest. But now that I think about it, it does sort of apply. I know a Newfie friend who's more for NPC politics, where as here in Alberta we're pretty Conservative... or we just hate the government because we still have a bit of that notion that the money we make is being all shipped down east. I do take some pride in my western/cowboy roots, but I'm not a close minded traditionalist. If there are parts of me that are, then chances are I'm trying, or willing to change/expand my views.

:P It's sort of funny that you mentioned BC'ers being short tempered and all that, because I know that in the hockey scene, no one here likes going to a Vacnouver game, because the fans are apparently the most impolite and obnoxious.

Gobsmacked? I'm not sure, I've just always known about it and used it. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure who I know that uses it.. I might have picked it up from TV or a book or something...

It used to be thought that if someone did well in school, they couldn't be ADD. But today, awareness is allowing more people like me to be diagnosed. It rankles me when people claim ADD isn't real and people are just lazy, or watching too much TV. ADHD can show up as brain damage on a brain scan result, so there's physical proof it's real. Getting diagnosed was one of the best things to happen to me, without knowledge that I was ADHD, I wouldn't be where I am. I thought I was defective and lazy for my entire life, that destroyed my self esteem and made me not bother trying anything because I KNEW I'd fail. That's part of where the avoidance comes from. Imagine living your life without something that everyone has, like two arms, or eyes, and instead of people trying to help you or work with your handicap, they just shove you on and tell you that you're lazy, stupid, or something. That's baggage you carry with you all your life.

The avoidant stuff, for me, isn't just ADD. I also suffer from Avoidant Personality Syndrome, which came about when I was young after an incident, but that's not something I want to mention out in public. If you want to know, I could tell you in a note. In fact, if you wanted, we could continue this whole thing in a note if your wanted.

You know, I hate to say it, but I really haven't looked into what my emotional outbursts are connected too. I kind of forget I have them, I guess it's because emotions seem so... justified. It might just be my upbringing, but it could also be tied to ADHD. I did read in a book that used an example. In the example, the author said that if a one year old was able to use a gun, they wouldn't think twice about shooting their mother if they were having a tantrum because she denied them something. As macabre as that sounds, the author went on to say that at later ages, a healthy child/teen wouldn't use the gun, because they're emotionally more mature. I THINK (I may be wrong) he then said that in the case of some/all ADD people, this emotional maturity is underdeveloped. Not that that means ADHD people will shoot you if you piss them off, but it does mean that at least some of us are prone to uncontrolled and unregulated emotional explosions. That would make sense, since I've often said some nasty things to friends in fights, believing they must hate me and want me gone (another feature of ADD, it can be hard to believe someone still cares for you when they do something that isn't loving).

Yeah, the thing with meditation and relaxation is that it requires unbroken focus, which ADD people don't have unless it's one of our interests (then we can hyperfocus on that thing for 12 hours and forget to eat). At best, our focus is like a bad tv set, where every 1-5 seconds the screen becomes static for a few seconds and then returns to the program before fuzzing out again. Getting an ADD person to do what they don't want to do can be like getting a 2 year old to clean their room, it's not going to be easy, nor will it be fast. You might find they've wandered off or fallen asleep. often for me, the thing that makes me freeze is seeing the mountain of work and dedication required. Lacking the ability to see the long term reward means that too much stress and little reward can make me quit pretty quickly... and when you quit so much and so often, you just start to avoid things altogether...

It's not an easy thing to live with. You're essentially an adult with parts of you that are physically, undeveloped past young childhood, and you struggle to live a life that requires nothing but focus, control and long term goals -- the things you can't do. And all your life you're berated, pitied, and seen as stupid, or punished because you're somehow smart AND stupid. And you yourself start to believe it. And the cherry on top is having people tell you your diagnosis isn't real, it's just a another "big pharma" conspiracy.

But it's not all bad. Today, the walls of homogenous living and homogenous expectations are breaking down. It's okay to not be married. It's okay to be gay, it's okay to be an artist. It's okay to travel and never have a home. People suddenly WANT diversity. People are suddenly okay if you're unfocused and forgetful and socially off, as long as you can do something they can't. And oh boy can a lot of ADHD people do that. We're prone to being jack's of trades because we keep switching interests every week until we're a plethora of talents and information. We're prone to some of the weirdest deep thoughts and out-of the box thinking that can take a company in a new marketing direction. We thrive in chaos, and we can roll with chaotic schedules and we THRIVE in work that's always changing. We're prone to creativity and being entrepreneurs. What's better than making a business and then moving on to make another? Always leaving what you make in the hands of the normal people that base their life around a 9-5 schedule of consistent, predictability?

Okay, a lot of what you said doesn't seem to me to really need a reply, I think we've covered what needs to be said. Anyway, I can't think of an intelligent reply. Instead, I'm going to PM you my contact info. There are just a couple of things, though.

Your friend from "The Rock," did you mean that he's an NDP supporter? I don't recognize the term NPC in a political context.

As for BCers, I used to work for a polling agency, (it was a subsidiary of Decima.) We'd call people and bug them to do surveys all across the country. I never got the kind of attitude from any other part of the country that I did from BC. They were awful! I used to dread having to call into BC. (I lost that job due to rupturing a disk in my back, partly from their lousy chairs I think, and being off work for a long time.) Later I had a lot of contact with BC Furries through a BC-based forums BBS. They seemed to be okay as long as they weren't being inconvenienced or annoyed, then the attitude came out. (I quickly learned to just shut up and let them cool down.) I guess hockey brings out the passion in an audience and the negative parts of personality more than the good. BCers... seem to have a lot of bad... might just be my impression, though.

I understand emotional baggage, or at least self-loathing. I was bullied through out my school career, even into college. I still find myself indulging in self-hate sometimes. Having an Otter fursonna is a kind of therapy for that. I have an idea of what being an otter would be like and I try to be like that. For instance, would an otter dwell on a minor error? No, he probably wouldn't even notice he'd made it and if he did, he'd just fix it and continue with having fun. If I want to be like an otter, I shouldn't sweat the petty things. Nobody's going to die... or think the less of me... because I typed a ; instead of a '. Just fix it and move on, it'll be fine. That's an example of how trying to be Otter has helped me. But my point is that I've had similar problems of emotional baggage and I'm glad that your own way of dealing with it works for you.

And hurray for you finding ways to make ADHD a strength more than a weakness.

No problem. I tend to babble on. I think I meant to type "NDP" but for whatever reason, my fingers typed "NPC". I'm not sure why, but that tends to happen to me. I should reread my posts better before I post them.

I actually have a similar story to your own about being and choosing an otter as a fursona. I'll save the longer story for a later talk, but the short version is that I started asking myself 'What would a dragon do in this situation?" when I felt down. My friend encouraged me to embrace it, and it really helped turn the tides of depression for me. And of course, as shocking as this might be coming from me, it's very therapeutic to act as a dragon and "be a dragon" after a frustrating day.

I've been a little busy with life things, but I'll try and get to your note and contact you as soon as possible!

It's not that surprising. I know a kangaroo and a tigress who chose their fursonnas for similar reasons. TTYL!