My Little Pony. We might not remember the exact moment we first saw our first pony pic, pony gif, or pony vid, but all of us have had that moment where we cocked an eyebrow and said, 'What the heck is this?'. All of our journeys in this fandom have had similar origins despite how we have all diverged since then to follow different paths. Looking back, these paths have had amazing consequences: learning a new art, meeting new people, seeing new places, gaining new perspectives.
My own story plays out as an example of this: a rather isolated individual who had never been out of his home State, whose only interactions were at university or through whatever MMO was popular at the time. Finding these cute, colored equines changed all that; bringing me into a world of art, perspectives and places I never thought I'd ever be exposed to. Thanks to pony I've met all of you wonderful people, seen your talents and your deeds, but not only that I've made friends with so many of you and have also journeyed to each coast of the US thanks to this fandom. Honestly, I can say that without my exposure to this fandom I would more than likely be the same isolated soul I was years ago, just doing what I can to get my doctorate and move on. It may seem cliche or silly, but I honestly believe things are for the better having been a part of this fandom, and a part of all of you.
So, my question tonight is simple: have any of you felt the same way? Do you think pony has change aspects of your life positively whether it be that it makes you more outgoing or you learned a craft you never thought you'd do? I'd love to hear what you all have to say!
