The Bronycon Experience
This was my first time going to Bronycon. I've been part of fandom for 7 years.
First I need to state my position: I am, for lack of better words, a closet brony, my friends know, my family doesn't. However my one friend had been asking me to go for over 5 years, and this time I gave in.
Once we got to the Hilton they had taken the luggage out of the car and I was left with car till they returned. This gave me a lot of time to watch others coming to and from. Seeing people openly walk around with plushies and MLP clothes was a little unnerving.
This was the first shock point at which all I could think was, "WTF did you get yourself into." "You don't belong here, this was a terrible mistake."
When my friends got back I made a half joke about the situation and they laughed and said it would only get worse. That in time I'll get use to it.
That was a lie.
Fast forward to the first active con day.
Walking around I started to realize. There are a buck ton of people and most of them are wearing MLP shirts and or carrying plushies.
My world had become saturated with pony. Everywhere I looked was pony.
Even outside the convention hall, the banners and restaurants... more ponies. There were people with their plushies walking around Baltimore everywhere I turned. You sit down to eat and the table next to you has 4 plushies on it.
At that point I have realized: the whole world has gone mad and my reality as I know it, has cease to exist. Everything is backwards.
For me, ponies are an online thing only. It's only in my online persona that I'm labeled brony. It's like a game, a little fun thing to do. As a result, whenever I see something MLP related in the real world, it's always at a store and I never acknowledge its existence (On outside I have no expression but on inside I always smile a little). *Note: Only pony stuff I have is a silhouette Luna mouse pad and Luna pluhsie on computer. If you bumped into me at random you would have no idea.
But now its flipped. The internet has become reality. That first night when I went to sleep, my dreams were more normal and made more sense then my waking moments.
I don't know what is real anymore.
Side Note: I was blown away by the late night raves they held every night. When I saw all that equipment, and how late they stayed open, that's when it hit me just how expensive this operation was.
After talking and hanging out with random people I started to realize that this con meant a lot to some. It reminded me of when people joked about trying to find the portal to equestira.
Except for some, this was the portal, they had actually found it and it was real. It brought them to a place where they could be open about what they like and who they are.
But that portal was closing, and everyone was trying to get the most out of it before it was gone forever. Being there for the end was bitter sweet. I'm grateful for having the experience and all the fun. But at the same time, now I know something is missing. It's like a stain glass window that's missing one tiny sliver of a pane.
A part of me died that I didn't even know existed.
To long didn't read: Surreal
Personal favorite highlights:
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Stuck in starbucks line for 35 mins to get friend coffee. It wasn't until 15 mins in that I realized the person 2 spots ahead of me was M Larson. Made corny joke to person next to me that "I didn't think Larson drank coffee, I thought he only drank Redbull cause it gives your wings"
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The raves at night. (first two nights were best)
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Anthropology showing
Submitted August 08, 2019 at 10:49AM by Skittle-Dash
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/cnoewb/the_bronycon_experience/?utm_source=ifttt
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