Chimera

Been on a bit of a poetry kick lately. I have been writing a lot of pieces using Greek mythology, religious ideology, symbolism. Most of my inspiration comes from deep feelings of regret, remorse, solitude and self-hatred. I don't mean to go emo on you guys, but I just wanted to tell you where my ideas are rooted. I have been dealing with a lot, and it comes out in my writing.

One of them uses MLP references to describe a person who hurts those he loves most. I call it Chimera because it was written from the point of view of Discord. While he is not called a chimera on the show (I can't even remember what convoluted word they used for him), that is technically what he is. A chimera is a mythical beast made of many parts.

Below I am including the text of the poem. I didn't intend to share it when I wrote it, but then, I didn't expect it to come out as good as it did. I figure if anyone can appreciate the symbolism I used in this, my fellow MLP fans can.

I hope you like it.

Chimera

I am not a unicorn,
a beast of beauty fair.
Nor am I a zookeeper
who's always shy and scared.

I am not the one who flies
and clears away the clouds.
I am not a student
of which teachers can be proud.

I cannot maintain the trees
that bear the luscious fruit.
I cannot throw parties
that can last a day or two.

I am a chimera
For I'm made of many parts.
And see that you don't get too close
I'll always break your heart.

I cause naught but chaos
whene'er I come around
I'll throw your whole world out of whack.
I'll turn it upside down!

I'll pull right at your heartstrings.
I'm quite the puppeteer.
You'll be left alone and gray
if you dare get too near.

I am not, as you may think,
What I appear to be.
For Frankenstein he never built
A monster quite like me.

Please don't try to be a friend
To chaos and discord
For in the end the price you'll pay
you really can't afford.

For I am a chimera
There is no harmony.
My elements are pain and woe.
I crush those close to me.

Apologies for the Absence

Greetings, my friends. I would like to first and foremost apologize for being gone for so long. MLP is not something that I just expressed a brief interest in and then forgot about. I still have episodes on my computer that I watch all the time, I keep fandom music on my phone (<3 MandoPony and AcousticBrony) and I try and keep up with any updates about the Season 5 premier next year.

My absence has been due to personal reasons, you see. If you are interested in hearing about my woes, stick around. If not, I understand. I think Applejack might have some fresh candied apples if you hurry over there. All of this has a purpose, though. There's a reason I'm telling you.

Some of you may know (but most of you won't) that I was living in Louisiana until just recently. In order to move closer to my fiance in Michigan and find work to eventually save up the money to move there, I was invited by my family to come to Illinois. I stay in a small town home/apartment with my mother and sister. Things were fine at first until my mother decided she hated having me around. She has treated me with nothing but hostility since. After the internet was cut and I was reduced to coming to the library to check email and whatnot, I put my fandom communications on the back burner. When life gets bad, you have to prioritize.

And things have gotten bad. I don't make as many hours as I'd like at this point, since it is winter and I am a fairly new employee. I started avoiding spending time at home even when I'm off work just so I don't have to be around such hostility. I only go home to sleep and shower. When the temperature is below freezing, this can get pretty miserable. I obviously can't sit in the McDonald's all day, not only because they wouldn't allow it but because I don't have the money to do so. Since she has, in her dislike of me, banned me from eating at home, I have to spend what little money I have feeding myself, and even that isn't much. Most of the time, I cannot afford to buy anything resembling food, so I go hungry.

All because I was supposed to come here and save money to be with Zane. Even Zane will tell you I'm not a deadbeat. I have a very hard time charity (even he has a hard time getting me to accept money from him) and I like working for what I have. I try and live my life according to a code of ethics. I don't lie, I don't steal, I don't beg and I don't do harm to others. I try and treat everyone with as much respect as I can. I'm a pacifist and I believe in peaceful solutions, respect and kindness for my fellow man and lending a helping hand whenever possible. These are ideas promoted by MLP as well. MLP teaches us to be kind and respectful and accepting of each other, to treat each other with kindness and to love without hesitation or expectation.

I've tried to live my life by these principles, even before getting into MLP, and I've tried to be a friend to everyone. In return, I've been kicked like a mongrel dog repeatedly and had every dream of mine dashed against the rocks like a Biblical infant. All I ever asked out of this life was a chance to be with the one I love so dearly, and instead I'm starving to death and spend half of my time shivering and wishing I had nothing stopping me from jumping headfirst into traffic. We have these big eighteen wheelers that haul pigs to the processing plant, you see, and they drive by all the time. And sometimes when the hunger gets bad and I can't feel my fingers, those speeding trucks look inviting...

But I digress. I couldn't do such a thing to Zane. No, the point I'm trying to make is I've been away because as much as I like MLP, it's hard to talk about promoting ideas such as love and tolerance and kindness when all they've gotten me is a hard kick in the teeth. I thought ideas like karma were supposed to promote the idea that doing good for others without expectation will cause good to return to you? I strive for nothing but to make the world a better place (more like Equestria, if you like) and I've been spit upon.

So yeah. Obviously I haven't been in the mood to talk about cartoons. Maybe if things get better, I'll come back. Those of you who might be interested in keeping in touch with me during these trials are welcome to message me at ahopper2 at gmail dot com.

Thanks. Hope to see you again someday.

Finding the Ponies Within

I continue to progress through the series little by little. As I do, I find that I relate more and more to each of the ponies in different ways. I find a bit of myself in all of them, which I think is why the show has such appeal for me. This is not saccharine feminine bullcrap mass produced just to sell toys. These characters are so well developed that it's easy to relate to them. They deal with real issues, have real quirks found in real personalities, and are not all sunshine daisy and butter mellow (how many of you just echoed back "Turn this stupid fat rat yellow?").

I would like to start with Rarity, because I find myself liking her more with every episode. I found her a bit stiff and boring in the beginning, because she seemed to be far too concerned about making her mane look nice and putting on pretty clothes. These are not things I can relate to in the least. If I ever brush my hair, it's because I have to go somewhere important, and I am more comfortable in sweatpants than rhinestones. I was wrong about her, though. I see so much of myself in her behavior. She wants things to be just so. She's a bit OCD, just like me. She tends to obsess over things that others might not find important. She likes things orderly, clean and presentable. Yet she is also a very loyal friend and extraordinarily generous. Remember in the pilot how she cut off her own tail so that she could help the water monster fix his moustache? I would like to be more like Rarity. While we are both OCD, she is far more so. I am not nearly as tidy.

Then there's bubbly... hyperactive Pinkie Pie. What more can be said? She's Pinkie Pie. She is happy, likes to have fun, and is prone to break into song at random (to the chagrin of those around her). She is the kind of pony who doesn't take herself-- or life-- too seriously. She chooses to laugh at things and try to remain positive. It is hard to make Pinkie mad, and you rarely see her without her trademark smile. I can say I'm a bit like that too. Not nearly as, um, ADHD, but I do try to laugh through misfortune and keep a stiff upper lip. I learned a long time ago that allowing life to constantly upset you will cause you to be a bitter, miserable and unpleasant person that no one wants to be around. As much as I make jokes about Pinkie Pie needing a prescription for Ritalin, I really do like her very much. I wish more people could be like her and just smile even when things look bleak.

Applejack. What a character she is. Although she's country, she is by no means a hick or a simpleton. She is actually quite intelligent, very loyal and one of the hardest working ponies in Equestria. I remember her trying to bring in the apple harvest all on her own and causing mayhem due to her exhaustion. Her stubborn refusal to ask for help got her into trouble, and she does have a stubborn streak. I saw it again in her bickering with Rarity during Twilight Sparkle's slumber party. I feel I understand her, and one cannot help but love her, but she also reminds me of things that I try very hard not to remember. I think this is the main reason I feel a bit more distant from her than the others. My roots are country. My grandfather and my father both spent decades of their lives attempting to break into the country music business (both ultimately failing), and I was raised on country music and backbreaking work ethic. My maternal grandfather worked himself till his body gave out because he could not stop working, even on the weekends. They all taught me the value of hard work, but the costs of these lessons were hard to watch.

Rainbow Dash is next. She's bold, loud, and more than a little bit of a braggart. She talks loudly of her abilities, and has little patience for those who cannot keep pace or who struggle. In "Dragonshy," she constantly criticized and complained about Fluttershy's inability to climb the mountain. She scorned her for her lack of courage and showed contempt for her fears. She likes to show off her amazing speed and her talent for complex stunts and dreams of joining the Wonderbolts. How this plays out for her as the series progresses I will not speculate on (still in season one), but I admire her for dreaming big. She isn't content with just having her abilities, she wants to use them for something. Some people will never step out of their comfort zone and dare to do something grand. Rainbow Dash is not one of those. And of course, she is always the first to step up when there's danger or business to take care of. She is brave, and is not afraid to put herself at risk if the need arises.

I see past and present parts of myself in Rainbow Dash. I was certainly once brash and, more often than I care to admit, foolish. I would frequently get impatient with those with less ability at something and was sometimes vocally critical. These are negative traits that I cannot deny that I had to grow out of. I still find traces of them from time to time, but for the most part these are parts of my personality that I have buried. The big dreams are part of who I am and always have been. I dream of being a popular novelist. I want people to read my work and enjoy it. I would love to sit on writer's panels with people like Stephen King and JK Rowling and answer fan questions. So I can understand Rainbow Dash's insatiable desire to do great things.

In deciding who I would do last and second-to-last, I had a tough decision, because etiquette seems to dictate that in a list of characters, the main protagonist should be spoken of last, as extra emphasis should be placed on the main character. But not this time. I actually want to save Fluttershy for last, as I relate to her the best, and thus my focus moves to Twilight Sparkle. She is a voice of authority, a stellar student, a fast learner, a voice of reason, a logical thinker, a mediator between conflicts. I am actually none of these things, with the exception of a logical thinker. Actually, I relate to Twilight Sparkle most through her passion for her friends. She is one of the most dedicated friends I have ever seen. She loves fiercely and does everything in her power to protect, guide and help those she loves. I like to think this is what people see in me, but I really would not dare to toot my own horn in such a manner. I will simply say that Twilight Sparkle is the kind of friend I aspire to be. If I show my friends even half of the love, devotion and time that Twilight does, I will consider this my greatest success.

And finally Fluttershy. How I love you. At first, I overlooked you like everyone else. You hardly ever spoke! You spend time with your rabbits and your mice and other assorted fauna, socializing very little with other ponies. You feel most comfortable in your own world, doing your own thing. When other ponies intrude in your space, you grow very quiet and nervous. You never speak loudly or unkindly, until you are pushed too far. You are by far the most gentle of the ponies. You are never selfish, unkind, needy, boastful or cruel. I can understand your need for private space. When I am in my little world, I am so much like you. Quiet, with very little to say, and wanting no one else in it. I long for a garden like yours, a place where I can go to be alone with my work. Your gentle ways have made me your devoted fan, and I look forward to watching the rest of the series to see what the future holds for you.

More on Derpy

Okay, so I just learned who Derpy is and what the song in my last post was actually talking about. In context, the meaning of the entire song changes. I tend to avoid reading about characters because I am afraid of spoilers, but in this case I made an exception, and I'm glad I did. There really aren't any Derpy spoilers.

That being said, I can't believe that they changed her appearance and her voice and all that because she was supposedly offensive to the disabled. I'm... I'm sorry? Have things really become so ridiculously politically correct that no one has a sense of humor, or a sense of irony? Obviously the FiM producers, cast and fans are not out to insult disabled people. The producers and cast have gone out of their way to be accessible to fans and to give special attention to those with disabilities, and the fans have raised truckloads of money for various charitable causes.

So at what point did it cross someone's mind that Hasbro, Hub, the cast, the producers or the fans were somehow trying to offend them? Derpy's silly expression and overall clumsiness was for comic effect, nothing more. She was the FiM equivalent of Chris Farley or the Three Stooges. Because physical comedy and silly faces are funny. And her name? Well, what's in a name? Derpy was just a silly name given to her by the fans that kinda stuck. There was certainly no malice in it, no intent to hurt anyone's feelings. It's not like someone decided that they were going to take a show that otherwise has an impeccable track record of being unoffensive, noncontroversial and full of good moral lessons and use it to target a group of people and make them feel bad.

But whatever. It's over and done with now. Censorship and the PC police win again. Sorry, Derpy... err, Ditzy Doo or Muffins or whatever they're choosing to call you today. You really got the old stickaroo on this one, didn't you?

Between Fairytales and Happy Endings

You guys, this song has me in tears. I am so serious right now. I don't even know who Derpy is, because I haven't reached that point in the series, but I felt the words of this song speak to me so strongly that I couldn't even take it. This is exactly the way I feel all the time.

I used to be the one
stuck on the sidelines-
but lately things have started to change
 

I would've never thought
that being the way I am
could make everything end up this way
 

This is never what I would have expected

Theres nothing wrong but they still want me corrected
 

Why cant you just let me do what I do

I'm not hurting anyone so why are you
(why are you?)

I've always been the one no one noticed. I never got invited to parties or to go out with groups of friends. Growing up (and even now), I spent almost all of my time alone, my only friends my books or my writing. No one wanted anything to do with me, for reasons I still don't understand.

Then something changed. I met the love of my life-- we'll call him Zane for the sake of his privacy-- and he has affected me in so many ways. Suddenly I don't want to be alone in front of my computer anymore. I don't want to lay down at night by myself with nothing to do but stare up at the ceiling. I have a reason for being. I have this amazing person in my life who moves me to create beautiful things and want to be better than I ever was. He makes me want to improve myself.

But this offends people. My ultra-religious family has been against it from the beginning. They've been vocal about how their faith clashes with the way I live my life. Nevermind that I'm so much happier with Zane than I've ever been in my life. I'm committing an awful sin, they tell me, and I need to stop. There's nothing wrong, but they still want me corrected. Why can't you just let me do what I do? I'm not hurting anyone, so why are you?

Then this song goes on:

I just don't know what went wrong

They don't love me any more so, 'so long'

Now I'm left out, on my own

Wish there was somewhere for me to call home
 

Is it not enough that I'm in the background?

You wanna drop me because of how my voice sounds?

This part in particular made me cry. It feels like they don't love me anymore. So often, I look back on the family I left behind, the family I thought was so close to me. Why am I so different now that I'm happy? The one member of my family that I was closest to deleted me from Facebook and will not add me again, and at one point had me blocked from all contact. When I do call and get through, I'm told that I'm being deceived and whatnot. Why can't they just love me for me?

Since then I've been moving from place to place, trying to get closer to Zane, who lives in another state, and also trying to find a place that feels like home. Now I'm left out, on my own. Wish there was somewhere for me to call home. I never really feel like I belong anywhere, and the one place where I know I would be happy, where there is someone who loves me unconditionally, I can't get to because I can't afford it.

This is my life in a nutshell. This is why this song affected me so strongly. I feel so alone all the time. Everything I try to do goes wrong, everything I attempt seems to make the people around me angry (though I have no idea why) and the majority of my family has cast me off. I have very few people in this world. Those I thought I could count on have shown their true colors. It wasn't enough that I loved them more than I can even say, it wasn't enough that I did everything to try and make them proud. This one thing- this one thing- is too much for them to handle.

Well I apologize if I ever made you sad,
but I will not be sorry for being who I am.

 I don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to wish to be loved. I don't want to spend all my time in the silence, wanting so desperately to be able to hold the person I care about most in the world. To hear his voice and see his face. If it makes people unhappy that I've chosen to love someone that much, they can suck an egg.

I will close with the chorus, which says how I feel far better than I could ever express in even a thousand pages of blog space:

How could you

Try and change who i've always been

What did I wrong?

I never wanted any of this

I'm sorry if I ever offended any of you
but I am who am,
there's not much more that I can do
 

A wise man once said that friendship was magic
the way I see it, it's been nothing but tragic

I tried my best and it wasn't quite there
a fairy tale but no happy ending for this mare?

:(

Love you, Zane.

Brony: Not Synonymous With Homosexual

Instead of an episode recap and personal observation today, I want to talk to all of you about something I found out about recently. You probably already know about it, as it was rather big news in the brony community, but I am just hearing about it and it burns me up.

I was checking out the website for Project Harmony, and they mentioned an incident involving a boy named Michael Morones. Upon researching this boy and what happened to him, I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. Nausea turned to rage, and rage turned to sorrow and the brink of tears as I browsed the website dedicated to his recovery.

Michael was a boy who had never hurt anyone. He is described as a kind child who only wanted to have friends, play his violin and draw. He was also a very devout Christian. What could such a person have ever done to deserve being bullied? Oh and he was bullied. Relentlessly. To the point where he attempted (and nearly succeeded in) suicide. Well, apparently his unforgivable sin was being a fan of My Little Pony. There were other factors at play it seems, but this was the really big one. They mocked him, called him gay, tormented him. And poor Michael never said a word to anyone, until the day he tried to commit suicide by hanging himself with his own necktie.

Now he's in a vegetative state and will never be the same again. He is making a slow, painful recovery, but they are saying that due to the damage to his brain, he will probably be blind for the rest of his life.

And he did nothing wrong. Nothing except watch a TV show that taught the exact opposite of what these children were doing to him. MLP teaches love and acceptance and friendship and kindness. All these little Mississippi monsters could see was a target, someone they perceived as gay, and they showed him nothing but cruelty. Even at my worst bronyphobia, I never verbally assaulted, bullied or tormented anyone. I simply laughed at the idea and talked with other bronyphobes about how "stupid" I thought it was. And I would never, ever do such a thing to another human being, no matter what show they may watch or who they love or how they choose to dress.

Because Brony is not a synonym for homosexual. The B in LGBT does not stand for Brony. This is a misconception that people need to get out of their heads. A person's choice in television programming is not an indicator of their sexual preferences. Michael was actually in tears the night of his suicide attempt because he was tired of people calling him gay. There are happily married heterosexuals who watch the show. In fact, if I remember correctly, heterosexuals make up a majority of the fan base. And this idea that bronies are homosexuals is causing people to go from where I was-- simply finding the idea ludicrous-- to actively targeting people. Their minds are being twisted and warped by fear and lack of understanding. And people are suffering for it.

I think it may be time to take a stand on this matter. The fact that I see so many members of this community referring to themselves or others as "out of the closet" shows their status in society. The world seems to have found a new group to pick on. It seems that they always need one. Bronies have to refer to themselves as "in the closet" and some have to watch their shows by night to keep their secret. Why is this? Why do they have to act like they're doing something obscene or untoward?

Perhaps a Brony Pride Day of some kind should be organized? Perhaps it is time for the brony culture to step out of the shadows and say "No! We will not be treated this way! We will not be subjugated, tormented, and judged by you!" Because Michael Morones is just one example of the end result of this treatment. There are others. And Michael will not be the last. There will be more of this, until there is a concentrated effort to educate the population on what the brony subculture actually is. Until people understand that Brony is not a synonym for homosexual, until they understand that you are not a bunch of perverts or creeps or lunatics.

 Has anyone held any Brony Pride Parades yet?

Applebuck Season

To be honest, I haven't really had much time today to watch any episodes, which is why this one is coming in so late. I just got the chance to sit down and watch S1E4, "Applebuck Season," and oh my goodness. That was one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time. I see now why so many people enjoy this show. The brony sensation is becoming much more understandable now. Everything from Pinkie Pie's antics, which were priceless, to Spike pulling the muffins out of the trash, had me in stitches.

Pinkie Pie and Spike are quickly becoming my favorite characters in this series. Pinkie Pie is so clearly, well, uh... Pinkie Pie is the reason they invented Ritalin. And Spike is just so unpredictable in everything he does. When the series started, it looked as though he might be the typical miniature sidekick (I'm thinking Snarf from Thundercats here) but he is anything but.

No, not at all.

 

What I like most about this series is that it doesn't take itself seriously and it isn't an obvious device for selling toys and merchandise. It's a fun show that doesn't have to resort to fart jokes and gratuitous sex scenes and vulgarity to be entertaining.

I also like that there is a simple, moral lesson in every episode. Anyone who is even half astute can figure them out within the first few minutes, but it is not so much the lesson that is learned at the end of an episode that makes this show appealing, but how they get there.

In this episode, it was learning to accept help from others. Applejack was always willing to help those who needed it, even when she was clearly incapable of doing so (a bunny stampede and earthworm-lemon-soda muffins?). Yet when she was the one who was in need of a helping hand, she would always refuse. Sometimes to the point of rudeness. I can honestly say that I can relate to Applejack very well. I try and help people any chance that I can, but people have had to tell me in the past that there is nothing wrong with receiving assistance in return. There was one incident in my religious youth where some anonymous person from my church bought me a new pair of shoes to replace my disintegrating sneakers. I tried to politely refuse this, but was told that sometimes being humble means accepting an outstretched hand when necessary. I was also told that sometimes it is more offensive to refuse such assistance.

Applejack has a proud streak. Her family is independent and they work hard. They aren't the type to let other ponies do their work for them. This is honorable in moderation. It is a sign of a good work ethic to want to be able to finish your own work. However, it is also a sign of wisdom to recognize when your work load is too much for you to handle on your own. That's a lesson I've also had to learn over the years, and one that has helped me immensely.

Getting closer to being one of you, bronies. I obviously like the show very much. The only reason I do not call myself a brony yet is because I know little to nothing. I am unfamiliar with the subculture. I don't know any of the famous artists and musicians or the songs that most bronies know. I have only seen four episodes to this point and could not hold a reasonable discussion on the canon, theories, or the mythology of the universe it is set in. I am, at this point, a simple fan who is becoming more obsessed every day.

Anyway, happy Halloween, everypony! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to our next meeting.

Cheers.

The Ticket Master

I have continued this journey by joining the MLP forums and obtaining the Equestria Daily app for my Android phone. Figure it might help to keep an eye on new developments so I don't fall further behind while trying to catch up with what was new two days ago.

I also finished episode 3, "The Ticket Master." Poor Twilight was so overwhelmed by her friends fighting over something they wanted that she didn't have enough of. They all wanted to go to the gala with her, and all had good reasons for it, which complicated the situation. It really wasn't possible to narrow it down by who needed it more. And Spike was no help. He was too busy eating. Gotta love him, though. As comedic relief, he is top notch.

The whole incident is very reminiscent of how people can be in real life. When you suddenly come into something desirable, like money or power or even just something in short supply, everyone has a reason to do you favors. How many lottery ticket winners get contacted by ex girlfriends they haven't spoken to in years, or old friends from school they can't remember? I've heard a lot of stories about kids pretending to like the unpopular kid because he's got cool toys and video games. Of course he does. He has stuff because he doesn't have friends. And when there are a lot of people wanting that something you have-- whatever it may be-- it can make you feel as bad as Twilight did.

But I digress.

This episode wasn't really about being used. It was about trying to make everyone happy. Twilight desperately wanted to make sure that none of her friends were disappointed, even though she only had two tickets to split between the six of them (seven if you count Spike). No matter what she did, she was going to have to hurt somebody. In her case, the solution was as simple as sending her tickets back. She got this note back that said, "Why didn't you say something?" More on that later.

In her case, it was simple, but in life it isn't always so easy, and the matter isn't always something as festive as a gala. Suppose you have only enough food for one person, but you have three hungry children. What do you do? Do you feed one and tell the others how sorry you are? Do you divide what is already a small amount of food three ways? Or perhaps there is not enough money to buy your daughter a Christmas present and pay the gas bill. Do you deal with her disappointed face and tell her to be grateful she is warm? Or do you do the opposite?

I like that this show deals with issues that people actually face in their lives. What I found comical, however, was the fact that the princess not only knew Twilight has five close friends, but she actually met them in the previous episode. When Twilight sends her tickets back and says she won't go if she can't take all her friends, she gets back this ridiculous message that says, "Why didn't you say so?" Like she needed to spell it out for you? Really? How many times does six go into two?

But that is more of an amusing observation than a criticism. I look forward to seeing what happens next. I am really eager to reach the two episode Discord story. He's voiced by one of my favorite actors, and I cannot wait to see how he portrays the character.

Till next time, bronies.

Elements of Harmony

Introduction
My partner helped me start my journey by linking me to this delightful song "A Long Way From Equestria" by MandoPony and AcousticBrony. I loved it. They took something as simple as a children's TV show and turned it into a song about making the world a better place, which is something I can definitely support. Because we are a long way from Equestria. I've watched the first two episodes and I can honestly say the way the world is today is nothing like the world these characters inhabit. We could learn a lot from them.

I've noticed how great all of these characters treat each other. Applejack saves Twilight Sparkle from going over the edge of the cliff, Fluttershy chooses to be kind to the rampaging manticore, and Rainbow Dash chooses to stay loyal to her friends instead of thinking of herself. How often are the people we see in this world honest, kind and loyal? With so many people these days blowing themselves up in the name of some archaic religion or spewing hate speech at each other over trivial differences, how much better would this world be if we chose to use the Elements of Harmony in our lives a bit more?

Honesty
Recently I had a friend lose all of her money, identification, credit cards, because someone stole her wallet. She climbed out of her car at a gas station and she didn't notice her wallet had fallen to the pavement. In the few seconds it took her to go to the pump, realize she didn't have her wallet and turn around, someone had made off with it. Her grocery, bill and rent money was all in there. And I see stuff like this all the time. When I worked at Walmart in my youth, I found someone's purse in an empty shopping cart. I instantly took it to the service desk because the owner WAS going to come looking for it, and she did. She was amazed (and grateful) that I had not only returned it, but hadn't taken so much as a stick of gum.

Why? Why is this world so dishonest and deceitful that an act as simple as returning a lost purse is amazing? If more people had this Element, the world would be a much better place.

Kindness
I grew up in the city, so I've had some experience with the poor, destitute and homeless. I've even been among their number a time or two. Everyone gets down on their luck from time to time. It bothers me that everyone assumes that anyone who is in that position is either a drug addict, an alcoholic or a criminal. Not all of them are. Some of them are just down on their luck. Yet people have this awful idea that they should not help the less fortunate because they feel they will be "feeding an addiction."

I ran a behavioral experiment a few years back. I made a wager with some friends of mine that people were more likely to respond to what they perceived to be the truth-- that is that all destitute people are alcoholics and addicts-- than a cry for help. I told them I would stand by the side of the interstate for two consecutive afternoons. On one afternoon I would hold a sign that said "I need a beer." On the second afternoon I would hold a sign that said "Hungry - need food." I was amazed at the results. When I held a sign advertising my need for a beer, not only were people more willing to help, but some of them actually brought me beer! The food sign achieved modest results.

Perhaps it would be better to just be kind to each other? Instead of bullying and berating each other or ignoring those in need, the world would get exponentially better if we just reached out in kindness to someone at some point during our day. It certainly worked for Fluttershy, who not only stopped the monster, but made a friend as well!

Laughter
I cannot stress enough how important laughter is. It just is! It's one of the most important weapons we have against sadness, depression, anger and fear. I used to let things bother me a lot, but like Pinkie Pie I learned that laughter can actually improve the quality of your life.

I was once a terrible, angry, bitter person. I had no sense of humor, no ability to take things in stride and almost everything bothered me. It wasn't until I went to the heart of Dixie in the southern USA and lived among people who were too busy laughing, cutting up and enjoying life that I realized that sometimes the obstacle in front of you may look terrifying. Sometimes it may look like the most horrible monster you've ever faced. Or sometimes it may just make you want to get fighting mad. The best thing you can do in a lot of those situations is learn to find the humor in it. Learning to laugh at life's mishaps (with the exception of things like broken bones, fractured skulls, etc.) can greatly improve not only your outlook on life, it makes you a person more people want to be around because they see you as a fun person who doesn't let things bother them.

Just try not to be too much like Pinkie Pie. Honestly, she was amusing, but by the end of the hour her bubbly, giggly WHEEEEE personality was beginning to grate on my nerves.

Generosity
Being generous needs no real explanation. I've always been a very generous person, some would say to a fault. I will give you the last of what I have, right down to my last if I can. Why? Because things come and go. Money comes and goes, possessions come and go. Even the great beach bum Jimmy Buffett once said in a song: "Spend it while you can/Money's contraband/You can't take it with you when you go." I see no reason to horde something when someone else has none. If I have a twenty dollar bill in my wallet that I don't need for some crucial expense, then by all means take it. What am I going to spend it on? A cheeseburger? A new hat? If you need it bad enough to ask me for it, I can part with it, because sometimes just asking is a great act of humility.

Rarity is so generous that she cuts off her own beautiful tail to give to the serpent. When she remarks "It will grow back," her friend remarks "So would the moustache," which is a valid point (and a rather amusing one). Yet cutting off her tail did not affect her in the long run. She was not put out by the loss. If more people took to helping each other as willingly as she did, would there be starving children? Would there be people in need? Would our world be in the condition it is in now? I doubt that.

Loyalty
Loyalty is one of the most important traits a person could have as part of their personality. To be loyal to a friend, to refuse to sell them out or to stand by them no matter what or to even die for them, is not only admirable, it brings you great honor in the eyes of your peers.

Rainbow Dash didn't sell out her friends, even for something she desperately wanted. To be that kind of friend is something worth striving for. Loyalty can sometimes be unhealthy or dangerous when given to the wrong person or cause, but when it is invested in healthy relationships, friends, family, then you have something that could never be bought with money, or bribed or frightened away.

Imagine if the whole world exhibited this kind of loyalty. Imagine if we were true to what we said and never betrayed those we cared about! I have this friend who was very bad into controlled substances at one point. Drugs. The types of things he was doing were bad enough that it worried me. One night I was walking toward his house and I notice some people standing in the middle of the road. There was a whole group of them, at least six. I was watching this group as I walked past, and suddenly I saw them attack someone wearing a hoodie. To my surprise, it was my friend. Without hesitation, I ran to this friend of mine and drove the men attacking him away. There were enough of them that they could have easily taken both of us down, but I stood in the street and stared them down, ready to defend my friend with my life. And those men left without another word.

Loyalty.

To be true to those you care about. To protect them. To stand beside them no matter what. To die for them if necessary.

This is loyalty. If I were in Twilight's group, this would be my Element, because I value it above anything else.

Magic
When you have these things together, you definitely have magic, because when you find all of these elements in a person or a group of people, you have wonderful friends. And to have such true, honest, brave, loyal friends is as powerful as any magic.

Conclusion
It is so strange how much I enjoyed this show. It's bizarre because, well let's face it, it's My Little Pony. I'm 32 years old. And a guy. Granted, bronies are of the mindset that people need to look past things like age and gender, and I agree. But it's going to take a little getting used to. In the meantime, I will be spending some time prowling the fandom on the internet and finding out where all of these brony superfans are hiding. After all, they pack convention centers across the globe. How hard could it be to find them?

-MD

The Journey Begins

Okay, this is my first attempt to ever document my journey into a fandom step-by-step, because frankly this is one of the few times I've ever set out to intentionally become a member of a community at the drop of a dime like this. To be honest, if you had told me this morning that I would be taking the first steps toward becoming a brony, I would have told you to go boil your head in a tub of acid. I have been adamantly against bronies since I first learned about them a couple of years back, and after today, I am truly sorry for that.

Let me start from the beginning. A couple of years ago (if you were to ask me the exact date, or even the exact year, I could not tell you) I learned about this group of fans known as bronies. Teenagers, college students, men with families who are fans of My Little Pony. I thought it was one of the stupidest things I'd ever heard of. Despite my oft repeated claims that I do not judge people and am cool with everyone as long as they are causing no harm, this was exactly opposite of what was true in this case. I'm not sure what it was, but the idea of men watching something so traditionally feminine was off-putting for me. I fell into the same trap as most men on this planet and labelled them freaks and weirdos and whatnot.

But I have never been more wrong. My partner and I were talking about bronies today, and I made the off-handed remark that if he was a brony, he should tell me. I was joking, but he replied that though he was not a brony, he was considering looking into it, because of a documentary on brony culture that he'd seen called Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony. I was blown away by what I saw. Here are people who are so obviously not freaks and weirdos. These are people who care about each other, people who express themselves through fiction and artwork and music (and even laser shows!).

These are people who look out for each other, who help not only each other, but their communities and the world in general. They've raised so much money to help people in need. One story that got my attention in particular was this little boy who had gotten a brain tumor. The brony community raised thousands of dollars to help him and his family, and one of the stars of the show actually came to his house! I've seen acts of amazing kindness, community and camaraderie among people who are complete strangers, friendship, generosity. These people are brought together by their love of a show, and have taken the lessons on treating each other with kindness to heart.

So wouldn't a community of people such a this be worth supporting?  I very much think so-- and not just supporting it, but joining it as well. I have had a keen interest in fanfiction for many years and have searched for a long time for a group of people who would actually appreciate the time and effort that goes into being creative. I believe that the bronies are such a group.

As I go along my journey, I will document it here. As I watch new episodes and begin exploring the fandom, I will post my thoughts, and these will be the thoughts of someone experiencing the series for the first time, hearing the music for the first time, seeing the artwork for the first time. This will very much be inexperienced, virgin eyes (as far as MLP goes). I hope you will take it with me. I hope some people from the community find this blog and are willing to give me pointers and suggestions. More importantly, I hope you all realize how deeply sorry I am for being such a douche for so long. Hopefully, we will all become great friends one day.

After all, that's what this whole thing is about, isn't it? Friendship?

Till next time, friends.

-MD