Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would say these words...
but this last weekend I attended a Furry Convention in Portland, Oregon.
My youngest had heard about the furry community awhile ago and begged to go to a convention. MY only knowledge of this community was an episode of CSI many years ago (and from talking to friends, this too was their only exposure to the community). The episode did not shine a great light on things and to say that I went into all of this with a HUGE amount of apprehension an understatement!!!!
There are a lot of things that my kid is into that I just don't "get" sometimes (slime and unboxing videos to name a few)...but it's not really for me to get. Plus, I'm POSITIVE there were things that I was into as a teen that my parents just didn't understand (there is a reason there is a song called "Parents just don't understand")
So I did a little research, chatted with adults that I knew who were in the furry community and found a convention. It was going to be a full family affair, but my oldest had a band competition in Canada and my husband needed to stay close to home...so the little one and I packed the car with supplies and snacks and set out on an adventure!
Over the last few months I have watched as my kiddo took a few raw materials, paint and a glue gun and created something from their imagination.
I'm still not sure what it is...but it has inspired hours of sketching, story writing and dreaming.
When we arrived at the convention I did feel like a little bit of a spy/imposter as I wasn't exactly part of the community...but I quickly discovered how kind and welcoming everyone was. Since my kid couldn't see all that well out of the mask, I was tasked as their handler...which ware pretty fun. People asked to take photos of my kiddo because the mask was so cool (by the way, my kid BEAMED with pride when discussing this later) There was nothing but kindness and encouragement around us and it felt nice!
Here are the things that I took away from my weekend...
#1. Everyone deserves to belong to a community. I know I would be lost without my yarnie community, and this furry community felt very much the same. People are coming together because of their shared love of something. I could totally get behind that!
#2. I would venture to guess that the majority of attendees were neurodivergent in some sort of way (this wasn't just my observation, but confirmed by the stickers and badges that were sold in the booths regarding ADHD, Autism, etc.). Sometimes when society as a whole makes you feel like you don't fit in, you just wish you could become that person who does fit. From an outsider looking in, it felt like by wearing the mask, they could allow themselves to be the person they wished they could be. Little Jen totally understands this. Grown up Jen hopes they know they are awesome just the way they are...but I still understand the need/want to escape from reality.
#3. The creativity and artistry was beyond amazing!
#4. If you find something that makes you happy and doesn't hurt others...DO IT!!! The joy was contagious!
I'm so thankful I didn't let my preconceived notions get in the way of something my kid really enjoyed. We gathered a few more supplies to make another mask and the dreaming/sketching/building has already begun! I was reminded over and over that community can look different, and we may not all "get it" but it's not really our place to dictate, is it?
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