Coming out of the Otaku closet

Well, when I was younger I didn't even know what anime was and just watched whatever was on Toonami or Adult Swim, etc. Then the summer before 8th grade I discovered manga and found out what anime was. I was really embarrassed about telling anyone because when I asked my friend about what she thought about anime she said it was stupid. And I was really self conscience about telling anyone about my love for anime and manga. Until I made better friends and then everyone knew I liked anime and no one thought differently about me. xD

I really got into anime during my Junior Year of high school when I found some people to talk to about it. I opened up more about my love of anime/manga when I came to my University since there were more people I could talk to and I did not care what people thought of me at that point. As for my parents, they did not mind since they were the ones that started me to go along this path with shows like Mazinger Z and Saber Marionette J.

I think that all people's hobbies, when taken out of context, always seem a little absurd. I work a job where I get to hear real people talking "real talk"....and I mean, the realest, most unguarded talk. I remember this one day I was listening to a guy talk about his favorite football team's performance the previous night. He started talking about the QB and he literally said something to the effect of "....eaumaigaaaaaaaaawd, he was like, looking SOOOOOO BAAAAAAD out there!" Dead sincerity. Like everybody's idea of a valley girl circa 1986 gossiping about seeing her nemesis out at the galleria. I've heard model train enthusiasts talking about their pastime with all the breathless zeal and staggering word count of an attendee at Jesse Pinkman's Endless Meth Party. It's just a fact that when we love the things we love, we're a little ridiculous. And you know what? That's nobody's business but ours. I'll never be made to feel badly about the things I enjoy. And nobody else should either.