It’s been a whole year since I found out about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and I have to say, it’s been a wild ride ever since. So much has changed, and so much has stayed the same. I would have never guessed in a million years that I would ever be actively caring about My Little Pony, yet here I am, writing these words. It’s almost a little hard to believe, but life has a way of doing that, making us see things that might have never been or we would have never believed.
So much has changed since that day, the day I found those colourful equines. March 23th, 2011, the day everything changed. I’m surprised I remember the date, but then again, how could I forget? I thought I knew just about everything, or at least I knew enough about life to get through it. I realize now just how naive that was. I am most certainly not the same person I was 365 days ago, not by a long shot.
At the risk of sounding corny, the show really has opened my eyes to the true natures of us, the world, and all it entails. I have experienced emotions I had only heard about but never felt myself, and it’s because my curiosity got the better of me the evening of March 23th 2011. I had never been a part of any fanbase or congregate of people with the same interests. Granted, I had a number of friends, but they were often into other things, whereas I was often the only one interested in what I cared about.
That’s not to say they didn’t care about me. In retrospect, it was I who did not care about them, I never realized just what I had. Until it was gone. I never realized how much friends could mean to someone. I knew it, but I never really realized it. Once I started following those little ponies something clicked in me. I got it.
I saw things created by those that now shared my interests, I saw videos, music, art, literature, love, all kinds of things that I had never taken into account before. But suddenly, because these ponies meant so much to me, it took on a new perspective. I cried for the first time in years. I cried from just how much I loved something, something that I had never done in my entire life. In fact, the first time I cried from something that wasn’t a childish petty thing was from reading and seeing some of the things my fellow bronys have made.
I had never truly known what people meant when they said that a song or movie had made them cry, but now I did. I got it. Art and beauty took on a new form for me, and in the process, something even greater did as well. People, more specifically, my friends. I never had too many friends, just the ones I needed, but I began to realize that they were worth so much more then I had realized. Truly, I had discovered that Friendship is Magic wasn’t just a tagline for the show, it was the whole point. I got it.
I would like to say that that fixed everything, but not so. I still have problems, I still need to straighten up, I still need to take my life seriously. But I think that I’m on my way. And I’m happy to report that I really am better off then when I was one year ago. Before I used to be content, but now I see so much more. I think the greatest part of all of this is the friendships I’ve made along the way.
Friendship is magic it seems, because it has defied my every attempt to classify it. It’s an almost other-worldy thing, something that just makes you happy without any real definable reason. I look back on the last year with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart. Oh, hang on, I told myself I wouldn’t cry. Dang it.
But in all seriousness, I would give it up for the world; It’s given me too much, opened too many doors. I think that really all this says a lot more than one man writing his thoughts down, there’s a lot more to all this than that. It really is a testament to what we can do, and how life has a way of... surprising us. The fact that this letter exists in the first place is almost a miracle.
I keep having to remind myself that this whole brony phenomenon is even happening, it’s just so hard to believe. To think that this is happening right now is incredible to me. To think that an army of people like me of all races and genders are so happy because of something like My Little Pony, it’s just mind blowing, no one could have ever predicted it, yet here we are.
It really is a testament of goodness for everything that is right now; and everything that could be.
Your faithful student, Mr Fugums Brian Paddock
P.S. I found Pinkie Pie sleeping on my couch again, that’s the third time this month. I suggest you keep a tighter leash on that pony.
Some of your report accurately reflects how I felt too. It's been a year for me since I first saw ponies. And as you said, some of the works fans have created - including you - have been nothing short of amazing. I can't imagine the time and effort that must go into producing these things.
Yeah, some of the things out there are just incredible. Sometimes it takes longer then others, it really all depends on how good you want it and how good you are. And of course you always get better as you do it. C:
On the day you posted the reply to my original comment, I had started trying to do vectors for the first time. I was going to give up because things weren't going well, but this reply inspired to take another shot at it. Thank you .
And I know you can.
And as you said, some of the works fans have created - including you - have been nothing short of amazing. I can't imagine the time and effort that must go into producing these things.
Sometimes it takes longer then others, it really all depends on how good you want it and how good you are. And of course you always get better as you do it. C: