Being a Fan & a Grown-up at the Same Time
Being a fan. Finding something we connect with and enjoy. Sometimes teetering on the edge of obsession. Whatever IT is, we study it, buy it's merchandise, see it's movies or concerts or games. We talk to our friends about it until they're sick of us or become fans of IT themselves. It's just what real fanatics do!
When we were kids, it was easy to be a fan. I mean, as parents, we clearly enable our little ones to become super fans. Why else would I have tubs full of Wiggles and Toy Story paraphernalia in my attic? Kids find something they love and go hard into fandom, and it's often in phases. In my house, in addition to Wiggles and Toy Story, we also had a dinosaur phase (knew them all, had the figures, went to Dinosaur World, twice), a Thomas the Train phase (don't get me started on how big our train table was!), a WWE Wrestling phase (my hubby was all over this one), you get the idea. As parents, we buy them the toys, take them to the movies, throw theme birthday parties, and learn all their names and theme songs. At one point, I could've transcribed the ENTIRE Toy Story movie from memory.
But something happens when we reach our teen years, and we start being a lot more self-conscious about our fandoms and what other people will think of our crazed enthusiasm. And while there have always been acceptable teen fandoms (pop music would completely die out without it), those feelings amplify into adulthood, thinking that if people really knew what we obsessed over, they'd think we were weird, or even worse, not take us seriously.
But what's the point of being a fan of anything? JOY! FUN! An escape from the harsh reality of this world. And honestly, who needs those things more than stressed out adults??? Thankfully, there are a lot of us grown-ups who are also fans of something, and being a grown-up fan is becoming more and more accepted all the time. But probably the best part of being a fan is belonging to a fandom, and ultimately becoming great friends with other like-minded fans, who also happen to be professionals, parents, and grown-ups.
So whether you're a Trekkie, a Walker Stalker, or a (gasp) Belieber, you too can find your tribe...even a tribe full of other Fan Moms/Ladies & Fan Dads/Dudes. So what's your fandom? Have you found your tribe yet? In coming posts, I'll be sharing a few of mine, and how you can connect with them if you're a fellow fan.
When we were kids, it was easy to be a fan. I mean, as parents, we clearly enable our little ones to become super fans. Why else would I have tubs full of Wiggles and Toy Story paraphernalia in my attic? Kids find something they love and go hard into fandom, and it's often in phases. In my house, in addition to Wiggles and Toy Story, we also had a dinosaur phase (knew them all, had the figures, went to Dinosaur World, twice), a Thomas the Train phase (don't get me started on how big our train table was!), a WWE Wrestling phase (my hubby was all over this one), you get the idea. As parents, we buy them the toys, take them to the movies, throw theme birthday parties, and learn all their names and theme songs. At one point, I could've transcribed the ENTIRE Toy Story movie from memory.
But something happens when we reach our teen years, and we start being a lot more self-conscious about our fandoms and what other people will think of our crazed enthusiasm. And while there have always been acceptable teen fandoms (pop music would completely die out without it), those feelings amplify into adulthood, thinking that if people really knew what we obsessed over, they'd think we were weird, or even worse, not take us seriously.
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| One of my childhood fangirl moments |
So whether you're a Trekkie, a Walker Stalker, or a (gasp) Belieber, you too can find your tribe...even a tribe full of other Fan Moms/Ladies & Fan Dads/Dudes. So what's your fandom? Have you found your tribe yet? In coming posts, I'll be sharing a few of mine, and how you can connect with them if you're a fellow fan.
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