So... where had I been all this time?

  • I returned to this forum shortly before Christmas, and if you remember I said that I had made a very large number of new friends since I had last logged onto this forum. I'm not sure how many of you remember this but on the old forum I often mentioned my social anxiety and my difficulty in finding friends during university and beyond, and for the most part I only socialised online, mainly on this forum. But after the original forum closed I found myself wanting to make real-life friends more and more, especially in 2018 when I had become depressed from the loneliness.


    So how did I make friends? Well, the answer to that can be found in my avatar! I finally joined the furry fandom, a fandom which to be perfectly honest I had wanted to be a part of for years but never really found the time to get involved in (also, years ago I just had too much social anxiety to even go out and meet people anyway). For anyone unaware of this fandom (although it's become pretty prominent), it's a fandom for people who like animal characters, and I've always been fond of them. What I'm wearing is a fursuit, which are animal costumes many furries wear. I didn't make the costume or even come up with the character but I'm very attached to him. His name is Wasabi, and he is a Star Wars-themed ferret. I know that the idea of furries may sound strange, and it is, but remember that we all enjoy a band where costuming was a big part of the act in their golden age. If Peter Gabriel can be a flower, I can sure as hell be a ferret if I want. ^^


    It's a blessing to finally be able to go out and meet my friends while dressing up and expressing myself as well, and I appreciate the opportunity so, so much. Having friends is something I always wanted and last year my dream came true. Before, I had to rely on old school/uni friends who I was becoming increasingly distant with; I almost never talk to old school/uni friends anymore, they've all moved on with their own lives now. That's why I wasn't on the forum for so long, because I found new friends in furries, but then I felt like I had abandoned this place and so came back. :)

  • Welcome back, and congratulations on finding a community of intent, so to speak.
    It's not easy to make real friends in today's asinine, rapacious world. :) :thumbup:

    Thanks Lazlor, and I agree, making new friends isn't easy. However, I always knew I wanted to be a furry throughout the 2010s, I just couldn't admit it to myself due to insecurity and fear of not being accepted. The community however is very warm, accepting, tolerant and involving, plus very artistically talented.