Friendship Was Magic · 6:37am Oct 13th, 2019
You know what this is about. I know what this is about. We all know what this is about.
Alright. Deep breath; let's get to it.
I've spoken, at great (and annoying) length in my blogs about my battles with depression and anxiety over the years. I can look over my own words and see the ups and downs, the good days and the bad. When I first started here, there were a lot more bad days than good.
I've mentioned before that, for a time, I was suicidal.
I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that had I not been dragged kicking and screaming into this fandom, I'd have killed myself years ago. I don't say that as "that's what it felt like"; a part of me knows in a way I can't quite describe that I would have jumped in front of a train that first day I skipped school. But I didn't. At the time, there was only one thing that stopped me in the moment, and that was my cat. I was sitting on the couch, watching as the clock ticked by. I remember noting the time I should have gone out to catch my bus. i remember watching it pass by the window. I remember watching the clock, saw the time I knew school was starting.
I remember my cat jumping into my lap and refusing to let me get up. I remember crying and hugging her.
That time, the only thing that stopped my from ending my life was my cat.
The thing that stopped me from trying again was this show. This fandom. The friends I made through it. I met many amazing people through our mutual love of technicolour miniature horses. Some I have, regrettably, lost contact with over the years. Some I'm still close to. But they all touched my life in a way I can never fully explain, and in all honestly I don't know if they know.
Being a part of this fandom gave me a sense of belonging when I felt alienated and alone.
Perhaps it shows how far I still have to go as a writer that I cannot properly express how meaningful this show was to me. Or maybe there was some things words just can't do justice. But I would not be the person I am today without My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic. And it feels weird saying that, but that's the truth. I wouldn't be alive were it not for the friends I made through this show.
Though it's true I fell out of watching the show years ago, I never fell out of love with it, with the characters and the stories and the heartwarming, simplistic yet important messages it brought with it. I will forever cherish the memories of this show, this fandom. These characters that touched my heart have become a part of me, and will be for the rest of my life. And I feel that's true for many people here.
I have a necklace that I got just a year after I got into the show, right after season 2 finished airing. It's simple; Fluttershy's cutie mark. My favourite single pony from the show. I've worn in near every day since I got it. No one would recognize what it is like the more obvious pony shirts I have, and those who do recognize it are fans of the show. I thought it a fitting way to let other bronies know I was one. Over the years it's served its purpose; though several people have commented on a guy wearing a necklace with pink butterflies on it, a few have recognized it. But that's why I bought it; it became something much more personal to me. There's a reason why my coworkers would notice the few, seldom occasions I didn't wear it for whatever reason.
That necklace became a symbol of the show that helped me get through some of the darkest parts of my life. The show and the community that gave me the strength to get through just one more day. I developed the quirk of clutching it when I'm nervous or stressed. I've worn it smooth on the back from rubbing it.
Look, this is all a really long-winded way of saying... thank you. My Little Pony, and the people behind it, the animators and the voice actors and the writers and the producers. To the people who made this show happen, who made it what it is, thank you.
And thank you, reading this. You the community. You my followers and readers.
So, that only leaves one more problem; where do we go from here?
Well, I'm not going anywhere. I have stories to tell. I have Twidash to read. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. There's another generation of pony coming, and I plan to be here to welcome it along with all of you who are sticking around. The fandom has changed over the years, and it will continue to do so, but it's not going away. Not just yet. And I've still got stories to tell.
So, as always;
Until next time,
Kodeake out
The title of your blog says "Friendship was Magic".
That's not true. It still is...
5137392 Agreed, though the series may have ended, the fans will carry the banner of friendship onward. We are more than a fandom, we are a family of misfits, outcasts, introverts, extroverts, and anything else that can describe us. If there is anything this show and this fandom has taught us is the most simple and yet powerful message:
FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC!
5137402
Hell yeah dudes!