Wanko-Net Portal

New Year New Me etc. etc.

A lot of silly stuff has happened since August and I should've been updating it in this blog to keep a more up-to-date and in-context perspective of things, but at the same time, this is my blog so it more or less is my own self-expression made manifest. And what better to show that then procrastination and avoiding tasks after/during large amounts of events happening all at once!

So first things first, the publication. I GOT ACTUALLY PUBLISHED FOR SOMETHING!!! It was rather unique of an experience and something that I truly wouldn't have thought I could say even a year or two ago. Granted, it's only one place that I've ever had it happen from, BUT STILL! I know that I should not validate my art fully by the perspectives of others, but I can't help but enjoy that someoe else looked at my art and thought there merit in it to publish and show to the world. It's something I will heavily appreciate the publication for, and I intend to attept to send many more works to them when applicable for me to do so.

In much sillier, but still important to me news, my tail has FINALLY ARRIVED!! I know I had talked about it as much in my previous writings, but it was in the process still of beign gotten all the way back in JULY! I had an issue with the previous seller involving their account disappearing, so I had to re-aquire a new tail seller, and I found a wonderful seller by the name of TimelessKittenShop on Etsy. I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend if you are looking for a tail because they are soooooo cute and well-made. I got the sleeve and put it over a silicone base so that I have massive wagging ability!! They also came with cute gifts and letters each time and I just love the service with them, it was so wonderful!

Next item would be the holidays, and this one is more funny and crazy than anything tbh. So, upon preparing for the winter holidays, my boyfriend's family got the super flu that was sweeping through communities, and despite everyone's best hygiene practices, EVERYONE got it . Me never having the flu before, mixed with not getting the flu shot this year, meant that I had a very surreal and frankly awful bout of this flu. Me and my bf were so delusional from fever for a time, that I dissociated for an entire 24 hour period and believed I was trapped in the Digital Circus. I repeat: DO NOT GET THE SUPER FLU!

All that said though, we eventually recovered around the beginning of the holidays, and were able to have a sorta normal holiday season. Although we did decide to leave our decorations up for a few months, on account of not even being able to enjoy them for being sick the entire time and not emerging from our rooms throughout most of December.

I also have begun to, as of this past year, explore and connect more with my fellow queer and dog-brained individuals, and with wonderful success!

See, most of my life, I have lived in areas or environments that never really talked about, educated, or even tolerated, queer spaces. Due to this, I was very much shut out of all of them by sheer ignorance of their existence for many years. It was only after learning to accept myself more and understanding more about me and the world I live in/around, that I began to look for these spaces. For a large amount of that time however, I was rather trepidacious and was afraid of the spaces because I'd honestly never been around a lot of queer people before, even in online spaces! But I have thankfully found so many wonderful new little hovels and communities of all types of acceptance, be they queer, furry, therian/otherkin, systems, you name it!

I have distinctly preferred this company, as one might expect, and have noticed something rather interesting. The communities that I thought were fine and were acceptable to be in, I have come to find toxic and unwelcoming upon closer inspection with my fresh pair of eyes. And I've realized that I don't have to put up with racist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, or other general hateful rhetoric. I have the full capabilities to stake out on my own and find communities where I don't have to hide in the shadows to find solidarity, but can find open and free community in the open air. I had truly never noticed how self-hiding I was of my true personal self in certain online spaces, be it games, social media, etc., until I came to this truth for myself. It was like being told to unclecnch my jaw after having realized the hypervigilance of my anxieties causing me to be unnecessarily tense. I have realized so much about myself and about what I am like when I am truly comfortable. And have found wonderfully accepting and beautiful friends and acquaintances on the journey, and I cannot explain how relieving it is to just be able to be me

I would highly recommend, which I notice I have done a lot in this post, to reach out and find those spaces for yourself. Find community in people with shared perspectives and contexts, and also with people who might share one part of your story, but not necessarily everything else. Learning from others' perspectives is one of most engaging and important things I think for genuine acceptance and tolerance, and it starts with having interactions. And support them when you can also! I just started donating to my favorite community to be a part of online, and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. But of course, NEVER feel pressured to donate if you can't. I normally would never have the capabilities to do so, and have only recently had such ability.

But for now, that probably covers a significant amount of stuff that's happened to me over the past couple months. It's a surprising amount of stuff, but it's also nice to be able to see all that can be accomplished in such a short amount of time. It really helps put things into perspective and realize how much progress I've had and the things I've gone through in that time. But I've held y'all up long enough. Peace!