wombat_socho

Maybe it's just a symptom of my being tragically overinvested, but I fail to see a significant difference between being in fandom and "having a life of your own." It may just be a hobby, but hobbies are part of your life. You're going to like the things you like whether or not you're in the fandom for them. In my experience, you can either be alone with your interests, or you can be with the people who share them. Your hobbies are part of what makes you who you are... putting them aside would be like trying to be someone you're not, in my opinion.

It's true, though, that fandom often carries a negative rate of return. I can't count the number of times I've been tempted to give up on the whole thing. Overall, though, I think I'm better for it. What's wrong with turning to fandom as somewhere to belong, when you found yourself on the outside at school?

Out of curiosity, where were you when you first took an interest in fandom? You said it wasn't as attractive when you saw it up close in Minnesota. Lately I've been suspecting location may have something to do with that sort of experience.