Things I Have Learned From Fandom

[synecdochic]

So back when we were planning the LiveJournal writing contest, I offered to be the one to do all the logistics, the preliminary judging, the coordination, etc. And we were all sitting around in our weekly management meeting, and we were setting timelines and schedules, and our Marketing Guy said to me: "How long do you think you'll need, after

Comments

[synecdochic]

That it hones life-affirming denial skills.

I love this. So true!

[fullygoldy]

Wow! That's quite a list, and I have to say that we've got quite a bit of overlap. The first three items I learned the hard way, but wouldn't give up the experience for anything (just add polyamory in with fandom and you've got it).

Fandom has taught me that feedback = love. Back in my old bulletin board days (before I entered fandom), I learned that "me too" posts were annoying and wasted space. Not so in fandom. It's really fun to see the size of the sample :)

[synecdochic]

Hee! Yes -- sometimes it's just good to know that we're not shouting into a void :)

[learn_me]

Fandom has taught me:

Not to judge a book by it's cover.

That incredible friendships can be formed in the most unusual settings.

That the rules of high school still apply.

That one person can move a mountain.

That there are people in the world who will reach out to you and mean it, even if they don't know you from a hole in the wall.

That family goes beyond people who are related to you by blood.

That you can have the best possible time with someone one minute, and want to strangle them the next.

That an obsession doesn't seem anywhere near as odd when it's shared with hundreds of other people.

That sometimes it is all about who you know.

[synecdochic]

That you can have the best possible time with someone one minute, and want to strangle them the next.

Oh, God yes. Nowhere is this more apparent when you've somehow managed to get appointed Designated Responsible Grownup In Charge Of Making Plans -- a role I avoid as much as possible. *g*

[rhianne]

Oh, amen to this! I often wonder why, in an office with 40-odd people, of which I am by far one of the youngest, that I've still somehow become the 'go-too' girl.

But when I tried to work it out, 99% of everything people ask me to find out/fix/do for them, and pretty much all of the people/group/mediation skills I employ every day in my job, I only know because of fandom. How do people cope without fandom to teach them everything they ever needed to know?

[synecdochic]

I don't know! I credit 99% of my professional success to two things: fandom, and being the daughter of self-employed small business owners (and therefore having learned the value of many things, including work ethic.)

[slashfairy]

How do people cope without fandom to teach them everything they ever needed to know?

word.

[munchkinofdoom]

Fandom has taught me that:

A thick skin is mandatory, but not so thick that no-one or nothing can touch you.

Murphy is alive and well and has an unholy fascination with Con-committees.

There is no such thing as an untransferrable skill.

People are wierd. But that's part of their charm.

And finally, that I must never never never be involved with the fannish travel plans of myself or anyone else, as I am a world class jinx. My home town flooded for the entire week leading up to, and including, one convention I was con-com for, only to have the skies clear as our guest's plane took off on the Monday after. I had organised his travel... just one of the many tales of woe concerning me and travel. *g*

[synecdochic]

There is no such thing as an untransferrable skill.

Amen to that one, man!

And remind me to never talk to you before I'm traveling somewhere -- my travel mojo lately has sucked too ;)