*huggles him*

I thought maybe you had left FA and/or the local community because I haven't seen hide nor hair of you before you attended the recent Thanksgiving dinner! I bounced around that place like a ping pong ball but I don't think we ever got to speak.

Me, I access this account regularly but only to check things. I've barely posted anything over the past year.

I had withdrawn from the local community more than it overall. It is really hard for me to say I left all together, just started hanging out with a different crowd. Got really involved with the bronies and made a lot of good friends, but most of them are furries in general. It is odd to say, but it to the brony fandom for me to find the good furs out there that don't make me feel awkward at meetups.

I'm not a pony fan, but I can see why it might be easier to find "good" people in the brony fandom. The brony fandom has positive core values while the furry fandom has...no core values. The brony fandom also has core source material, while the furry fandom doesn't. This means it would be easier to find common ground between people.

You'd think "interest in anthropomorphic animals" would be the core thing tying the fandom together, but I find more and more "furries" who don't even seem to have a sincere, non-ironic interest in anthro animal characters.

To me anthropomorphic animals is still the core, or at least the most common and prevalent theme. Everyone just defines it a little differently and has their own reasons for being here. It is a fandom that is unique in the fact that it celebrates itself above all other things because the majority of what it celebrates is fan produced and we are no one target audience but out own. It is still a community that celebrates anthropomorphic animals in media, yes this does include My Little Pony, and for some that is what attracts them. Others don't really share a love for the animal aspect, they simply just adore all the artwork, of various ratings, produced and are here for the love of the art.

I've met others still where their reasoning for being part of the fandom has nothing to do with art art and media and purely and animal connection, there is sort of spirituality, a connection of nature and finding a part of one self they feel is above the pettiness of man. I think the oddest reason I have ever come across for people being a furry is simply their attraction to the atmosphere it creates. Of all the fandoms furry is the most accepting, it is one of its greatest strengths and weakness. There is this general attitude that it does not matter who you are, or what you are, you are welcome and no one had the right to judge you for the things you enjoy.

While this acceptance is not universal and there is some infighting do to people's personal beliefs, it never stops a particular group of exist and thriving in the community. Humans in the end want to feel accepted, to feel welcome and safe and find others they can be with so furry can be very tempting to those that feel a bit ostracized by society. I have met many people that were simply curious about the fandom, having heard so many rumors, so they check it out, they work out a character, they browse the art, they role play maybe even give a hand at art and writing themselves, see about attending the con. They are not people that I would say were furries to start, but over time integrated themselves into the fandom while appreciate the fandom for what it is, their attraction had nothing to do with furry character. For some they are simply an avatar that they drive in their escape from the rest of the world.

For me personally, the anthropomorphism plays a huge role. I am a huge fan of animation first and foremost above all other things and have always, since a wee tot, loved the animals that are personified with human traits. While as I aged this fascination did grow to be more than just simple awe to physical attraction and I admit it is this that lead me to the furry fandom, it was awhile before I considered myself a furry. I was a shy and curious lurker for years, simply browsing galleries and watching people interact in chats, but I give furry credit for helping me break through so many shells I hid myself in and pushed me to explore not just myself but the world at large.

The one thing about the community that I can say I have never really been all the comfortable with is the level of sexuality and hedonism to be found. It is one thing when left to the online world and Role Play, but discovering that it extended into the real world was rather shocking and as much as I tried to adapt, to fit in and hope that eventually I would just adjust, I was miserable at any sort of event or gathering where it was evident that those there were more than just friends and promiscuity among the group was encouraged. It took a long while of faking being comfortable and interested in this that I decided I could not longer be a part of such gatherings and people with that mentality. It is the only thing I ever was not myself about when it came to this community and was a large part of why I started drifting away.

All the drama bullshit is one thing, watching artist go from drawing for the love of drawing to it being more about making money off the community and giving them what they wanted, that was another. It really came down to I just outright started to feel so lonely and isolated, like I have never felt before and my level of self-loathing had never been higher, it is some of the more depressed I had ever been and was in a very dark place. So, yeah, the more causal gatherings with the bornies really helped me a lot and has helped me come to grip with many things and I finally got to the point where I could be open an active in the furry community again without feeling pressured to be something I frankly am not.

Welcome back

Thank you.