Many years ago, when I was in high school, we had open lunches. That means that students were allowed to eat wherever they wanted in the schools. So imagine the stereotypical divided lunchroom from every teen movie ever, now imagine that the cliques could exist in different halls and wings of the school and never have to interact. That’s how mine was.

My point is that there were cliques I didn’t understand. I was by no means a popular kid, but I did feel in a social strata above the Magic: The Gathering and D&D types that sat in the orange hall. Those of you who know me now, might laugh at that last statement, as I now play both.

So, I used to pass them in the halls and laugh at them to myself. Man, did they have anything better to do than talk about some fantasy world? How sad. Then I would continue on to my way to my friends where we would talk about the latest school play. It didn’t take me long to see the irony.

Being adults now, it’s laughable. But is it? We mock the bronies for liking a show for little girls, and then go pop in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and plan our next trip to NY for the Quiddich World Cup.

Isn’t this what we all do? Especially with social media these days, we seek out people with similar interests and bond over them. That’s all this is. The show itself is much more mature than people give it credit for. There is a continuity, serial plot, and some very important themes that apply to both children and adults. When was the last time you saw a kid show that established that royalty in their universe is earned, not inherited?

Anyway, Bronycon is just a gathering of people who have a similar interest in a particular show. Forget, for a moment what the show is. They have panels with in depth analysis of the themes, they have panels with the voice actors. It’s a hobby.

Not surprisingly, from the fandom of a show about friendship, they’re all super supportive of each other. There’s a big LGBT presence in the brony community. Overall, there is a good vibe in the con. Painfully awkward, yes, but good.

I won’t pretend they aren’t an uncomfortable bunch. I mean, that’s a given. But here, they are in their element, and they are happy, and that’s contagious.

My only complaints so far are these:

It’s a con in its infancy, and some of the panels feel poorly planned/prepared for.

4G is so clogged it’s really hard to Tweet or Facebook or Instagram the experience. I thought having a press pass might entitle me to a WiFi password, but access to the center’s WiFi is $125! (this is a convention center issue).

It smells like a high school. (50/50 about the Con and the center).

There was NO ALCOHOL at the Bronypalooza concert. Seriously. How am I supposed to dance to My Little pony based electronica music sober?! Thank god I pregamed.

My point is that it’s all good fun. Who are you to say they’re having fun in the wrong way?

Also, while there may be some crossover between furries and bronies, they are not synonymous.