Uniqueness of People

Have you ever been a place that you just don’t fit in at? What brought you there? Why did you go? What made you stay? Why would you do that to yourself? What did you learn from it? What did you take away? These are all things that I ask myself now that I am on the other side of Anime STL 2022

In April 2022 I had the opportunity of taking one of my son’s and my nephew to Anime STL 2022. This is something that I would not normally do on my own. You see a lot of my friends growing up were really into comics and super heroes, and that was their thing. I was also, when I was younger, but not as I got older. I turned to other things like sports, girls, and God. But that is not the same for my middle child. He is really into comics, and Japanese culture. He loves video games, and reads manga on the regular. He likes super heroes and a good story. And because of this, it is actually bringing out the younger child in me. The things that I wasn’t able to really experience. Because part of my story is me growing up way too early.

You see my parents got a divorce when I was only 6 years old, and I took it upon myself to be the leader and helper of my family. It was just my mom, brother, and I. And I needed to protect them. I needed to take care of them. My mom worked a lot to support us, and I was at home spending a lot of time with my brother. I was also early to do chores, and work, and just help out. So as many kids get to dig into their dreams further into their teenage years, I did not. So that brings me back to Anime STL.

Like I was saying, in April we got to attend. Both my son and nephew were REALLY excited about this. They wanted to see all the people dressed up, they wanted to see all the booths that would hold their new favorite toys, and they too wanted to dress up and dream of being one of their favorite characters. This was the time of their life, and I was enjoying every minute of it. I gave into some extra purchases for some items that they didn’t need, and I had to help them with their emotions as they battled with foam katanas to see who was the greatest fighter of them all. But over all everything was great. They got to REAlLLY be kids and enjoy their childhood.

The thing that I did not expect was the amount of adults that would bring back their inner child as well. And there were a lot of people like that. Is it ok? It can be. It can be a way for a person to really enjoy memories from their childhood. It can be a way to show your passion for a specific character and to show your artistic side by the makeup they wear. There were a lot of people like this, and to be honest, I was out of my comfort zone. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt each of the days that we went. I did not dress up, and I did not really even know most of the characters that other’s dressed up as. But either way, I was out of my comfort zone.

So what could I do with this? I could leave. I could not come back the second day, or I could leave early the first day. I could call them out, and be the bully and make fun of them. But that is not what I did. I tried to show support, and to love them in the moment. I wanted to join in with them and the fun they were having. I was there to be a light in a world that is often darkened by hated towards people that are different than themselves. On both sides of whatever you believe, it is hard to see someone else for wha THEY are, and not who you want them to be. So that was me. Trying to be a light in the dark.

There is one thing though that we need to be careful of in our own lives, and something I wondered bout many of the people that were there at the anime con. The question that I had was, “Are you dressing up to show support and your artistic side? Or are you dressing up because you don’t know who you are or don’t believe in yourself so you are trying to be someone else?” If that is the reason, then we have a bigger problem. And I get it, some would say it is ok to be someone else. Or project yourself as someone else, but I would argue that to be you, you need to be you. You need to be happy with who you are, and who you are becoming. The one thing that I truly love about my relationship with Christ is that He has given me a purpose. He has given me my name, and shown me who I am. It is for this, that I have hope. So I pray that if you are struggling with who you are or believing in yourself, then you should reach out. You should talk to someone about it. Find someone you trust and let them know how you are feeling. Someone who is there to be honest with you, but also give you positive feedback. Someone who will not just tell you what you want to hear, but will give you the truth. Someone who can help show you who you are.

This adventure of life that we are on, and the adventures in that adventure can have a toll on our hope. So don’t lose it. Don’t forget that you were made for so much more, and loved so much deeper than you know. That every breath you get is a gift and it is given by someone who wants more for you than you can ever imagine. And that is what gives me the hope to keep on loving and to keep on adventuring.

Until next time remember to Adventure Often, and Love Always.