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My thoughts on Oklacon
10 years ago
General
As you all know, no more than a day ago it was announced that Oklacon, a con I have been a part of since it's conception, has now closed its door indefinitely. To most this news is disheartening. For some, like myself, this was your first furry convention. Maybe it was your first convention ever, maybe you found your best friend or better yet your significant other and maybe to some it was the worst con you ever attended, but whatever it was to you. It was undeniably one thing to us all. It was our con, it was Oklahoma own furry convention. We were the first and most attended outdoor furry convention in the United States. From its humble beginning as Festival of the Feral to its final session of cowboys and furries, those memories will always be with me, and I know if I keep them close to my heart then oklacon will never truly be gone.
I wish I knew the exact words to write to make all of us feel better. In fact I really don't know how to write this or how should I write it. I am very bad at being politically correct so I tend to stay silent when it comes to official statements. Currently I am serving on the board for Fuzzy Productions, the corporation that runs Oklacon and I fear that any statement I make could be misinterpreted as something official. So let me make this clear right now. All the words, opinions and statements I make here today are of my own and no one else. Let me repeat, only my opinion is represented here today.
So what do we now? Well we remember, we lament and we pay respect to an amazing convention, to its staff, to its volunteers, and most of all to the countless number of attendees that made Oklacon their temporary home for a few days in October. What we don't do is over react and wish harm on a small group of people who are already suffering from the consequences of there own action. We don't act irrationally by taking futile actions that benefit no one. We all need to move beyond this, I know it's painful and everything looks bleak but we'll get by and we'll eventually move on. I know that's the last thing any of us want to hear right now but it is the truth.
At some point something will probably take Oklacon place. I have heard many people talking about hosting an outdoor event, possibly on their own private property, maybe even a group camp at a state park that is outside of Oklahoma. Whatever form the next convention takes, it is my hope that those organizers understand what made Oklacon great. It wasn't that it was an outdoor convention. It wasn't the wonderful charities, the amazing artist, events or panels. No, what made Oklacon special was the community. The founding members of OAAA, the hard work and the risk they gave. Oklacon was not the vision of one individual but the visions of many and without that in mind any new incarnations of Oklacon will not be able to thrive.
I don't know if anything I said made any sense at all but the only thing I have left to say is thank you. Thank you Oklacon and thank you Oklahoma furry community, it has been a great twelve years.
Oklacon
2003 to 2014
R.I.P
Warnndog
I wish I knew the exact words to write to make all of us feel better. In fact I really don't know how to write this or how should I write it. I am very bad at being politically correct so I tend to stay silent when it comes to official statements. Currently I am serving on the board for Fuzzy Productions, the corporation that runs Oklacon and I fear that any statement I make could be misinterpreted as something official. So let me make this clear right now. All the words, opinions and statements I make here today are of my own and no one else. Let me repeat, only my opinion is represented here today.
So what do we now? Well we remember, we lament and we pay respect to an amazing convention, to its staff, to its volunteers, and most of all to the countless number of attendees that made Oklacon their temporary home for a few days in October. What we don't do is over react and wish harm on a small group of people who are already suffering from the consequences of there own action. We don't act irrationally by taking futile actions that benefit no one. We all need to move beyond this, I know it's painful and everything looks bleak but we'll get by and we'll eventually move on. I know that's the last thing any of us want to hear right now but it is the truth.
At some point something will probably take Oklacon place. I have heard many people talking about hosting an outdoor event, possibly on their own private property, maybe even a group camp at a state park that is outside of Oklahoma. Whatever form the next convention takes, it is my hope that those organizers understand what made Oklacon great. It wasn't that it was an outdoor convention. It wasn't the wonderful charities, the amazing artist, events or panels. No, what made Oklacon special was the community. The founding members of OAAA, the hard work and the risk they gave. Oklacon was not the vision of one individual but the visions of many and without that in mind any new incarnations of Oklacon will not be able to thrive.
I don't know if anything I said made any sense at all but the only thing I have left to say is thank you. Thank you Oklacon and thank you Oklahoma furry community, it has been a great twelve years.
Oklacon
2003 to 2014
R.I.P
Warnndog
it can happen. I saw the death of our local con and could not let that pass.
Good luck and look for opportunities to bring it back with those with their heart in it, and it wont have to be the end.
For as bad as Oklahoman's can be at focusing on the actions of a few bad apples, most of us are resilient, and we come together when we need it most. For Oklacon, this is a disaster, yes, but we're known for rising from the ashes of any disaster and building a better future. Oklacon as many knew it is gone, but lets not let that be the end of Oklacon's legacy.
Admittedly this would have been my last year at this con because of other commitments for halloween, but still very sad to see it go. I will admit I do have animus remaining for those that served as the straw, but that will pass.