Animal instinct

I consider myself an open person, as long as you're not hurting anyone feel free to do your own thing. In fact, I like the folks who dance to their own full orchestra. That said, I must confess that I do not understand nor do I get the entire Furry deal. For the uninitiated, the Furries is the name given to the persons who attend the Anthrocon conference, which is an annual gathering of persons who identify with animals and wonder what it would be like if animals could walk and talk to the point where they dress up and walk around as said animal.

Pittsburgh has become the host city for the annual Furry Convention. Last week, one could see numerous individuals walking around the city with three-foot tails attached to their pants or wearing animal ears atop their head or completely costumed as the animal of their choice. Many sport blue and white tails, purple heads with green horns or do a full-costume wolf in courtier clothing.

I admit that I don't get it.
I admit that I remain incredulous at the amount of press this gathering received. Even the local NPR station ran a story.
I admit that I don't know how they fill a full three days of a convention. What are the workshops? "How to be a blue fox in a red and gray world"

Personally, I enjoy narratives about animals given human characteristics found in the good story, well told. Perhaps the best to do this is the author whose birthday is today, 11 July --- E.B. White who wrote "Stuart Little" and the classic, "Charlotte's Web" for which White received much of his inspiration living on his farm in Maine.

The more I think about it the more I realize that this gathering of tail-wearing, big-animated-head sporting folks is in large part what "Charlotte's Web" is all about --- friendship. So, if these Furries find a connection, hang-out with friends they perhaps see only once a year at the convention --- then more power to 'em.

I probably will never get the whole animal identity thing, yet, friendship and finding folks with whom one can be one's self and belong --- that I get.

sj;