Seven Years

That's how long it has been since my life changed in unimaginable ways and I ultimately left this community. It's strange to think that probably few of the people on this forum, even on the staff, might actually know who I am at all. It's bizarre to think of a community which at one point made up such a significant part of my life and think that I am but a mere blip of its own history. It's a humbling feeling to be lost with time.

For those that don't know me, I'm Simon. Let me take a brief moment to make up for seven years of missed welcomes to those who have joined this community in my absence. Once upon a time, I was part of the staff around here - I was a moderator at MLP Forums for some time and then became more involved in the other workings of Poniverse acting as its head of PR, and for a very brief time before my departure, the head of Poniverse's board of directors. Let me tell each and every person who may come across this blog that I do not know that this forum shaped my life in fantastic and unimaginable ways. Use your time here to build the types of friendships that will last a lifetime - I promise you there are opportunities to do so here.

Some of those who do remember me may have divisive feelings towards me and towards the circumstances surrounding my departure. Those are feelings which I am not here to address or breath life into. Rather, I am here because I have reached a point in my life where I feel the need to reflect backwards prior to moving forward.

Seven years ago, I attended, along with many of my fellow staff and friends at the time, BABSCon 2016... even the year seems to date myself and this story. Much arose out of that event, but by far most impactful was the meeting of one particular former staffer of MLP Forums... @Nervous Stitch. A few of the staff had made plans to keep the trip going by flying out together to Las Vegas for a couple days after. She didn't plan on going, but I somehow managed to convince Stitch to make some last minute arrangements to come with us. I felt inseparable from her. We weren't even dating at the time and I hadn't processed my emotions, but I knew she was someone who I needed to have close to me in my life. I flew out just a month after BABSCon to go see her again. I never left. A year later in May of 2017 we returned to Las Vegas... this time with our family for our wedding day.

The past seven years have held all the greatest moments of my life. For all the pain I felt leaving this community in the way I did, I owe so much to this community for shaping my life in this way and for bringing me together to be with the person I will spend the rest of my days with. Perhaps most of all, sometime later this year, around November, I will be able to once again thank this community for bringing yet another person into my life... mine and Stitch's son.

I cannot say that I plan to return to this community now or in my future, but know that every person whom I have spoken to here has impacted my life and shaped my life and for that I will always be grateful. Thank you to all of you who have shown me nothing but love and support.

Until we meet again...

-Simon