5th Anniversary #ThankYouMLP Giveaway!

[Side Bird 566]

Thank you MLP! You've inspired my life in so many ways. Been a fan for about three years, time really, really does fly. C:

 

Five years ago I didn't know anything about MLP. Was probably goofing off or doing something dumb. Two years ago I joined this forum. MLP's changed me a lot.

 

Here's to another five years. 

['Tia Leaf 200]

Five years, and still going strong. Truly amazing. It has been a wonderful ride up until this point, and I do not think I want to leave my seat. It has been a roller coaster of fun, and emotion. There have been ups and downs, and points where you think that it might just break down, but in the end it keeps going strong. Many wonderful things have come about because of this fandom, delightful music, beautiful art, inspiration to do many great things. And friendship, the most important thing of all. Here is to you, MLP: Friendship is Magic. May you continue to bless us with candy colored personal miniature equines for many more years to come.

 

[Miles 2,512]

Although I won't be entering the competition (firstly, because I'm still a closet brony irl, and secondly, because I'd rather see someone else win a prize), I definitely wanted to post here.

---

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic... has changed my life so very much.  I've been a brony since December of 2013; been a member here on MLP Forums since June of 2014.  It may not seem like a long time, but it really has been, and I mean that in a good way.

As cliche as it sounds, the truth is that I've become a totally different person, a better person.  The show, these forums, and the friends I've made, have been a Godsend to my life.

The path my life was leading to before I essentially even knew the show existed... was causing me to lose my grip on reality, my focus in life, and my friends and family.  Being such a "home-boy" (literally), when I left home to live on campus my freshman year of college (fall of 2013), it was more than mere homesickness that I was stricken with.  Many people, if not most, know what it feels like to be homesick - and many of my friends said they were too.  But everyone I talked to was over it within about 2 or 3 weeks.  It got easier for them.  Well, it didn't for me.  I was living in a dorm room, alone, at least 90% of the time, as my roommate at the time was never there; always out with his friends, or spending the night elsewhere.  Even though I ironically chose, as an introvert, to lock myself in my room alone, it really just made things worse.  I got my schoolwork done just fine, but I was just doing it second-nature (first semester homework wasn't difficult).  That left me with... a plethora of free time.  And free time isn't good for a sad soul.

In the first half of the semester, it was like each next day I felt just a little more sad.  Eventually it got to the point where I silently cried myself to sleep at least 3 or 4 times a week.  By October, I began watching old movies from my childhood to try to somehow be able to reconnect myself to positive emotion, even if that meant by proxy of pretending to forget that I was in a dorm room on campus whilst watching them.  Paradoxically, watching my favorite old childhood movies made things both better and worse at the same time.  I had happy tears watching them, but as soon as the credits rolled, they weren't happy tears anymore.  Once I'd gotten tired of rewatching them over and over in my free time, my emotions started to just fade.  And I don't mean that the sadness was going away whilst being replaced with positive emotion; I mean I was starting to have a lack of emotions.  I was going numb.  Not the "cynical apathy" kind of numb, no... But the "lost" kind of numb.  It led to many nights of insomnia, which further led me to having a lack of nutrition, and poor hygiene.  

But then sometime mid-December, I just kneeled down, bowing my head, clasping my hands, and placing my elbows on my bed... And I prayed.  I just prayed for anything.  I didn't know what I wanted.  I just wanted... help.

... *tears* ...

Probably less than a week later, I stumbled across something MLP related.  I was intrigued, so I looked it up, and found how the show had a large fandom, with many of the fans being males around my age.  Without any hesitation, I watched the pilot episodes...

That was all it was to hook me.  And, that was all I needed to cure my numbness.  I just started feeling so much better, so much happier, and most of all, I was given motivation.  Because I had pretty much lost all my motivation before finding MLP.  I would use the show as my incentive: "Get your homework done, and you can watch more episodes."

All of my second semester of freshman year I had stayed completely closeted about being a brony.  Finally in the summer of 2014 I had the urge to want to talk to others about the show.  With a simple google search, I found MLP Forums.  I lurked for maybe an hour, and then joined the site.  As a new member, I hit the ground running.  I was more than ready to become a part of this community.

I made many new friends here, all of which positively affecting my life...  So thank you, everyone, for being a part of this wonderful community.

It probably goes without saying, but - (as those of whom know my reputation as being honest, verbose, and precise, you know I'd never skip any details)...

Beyond how greatly the forums, the show, and many of my friends here have benefited my life, there is no doubt I would not be who I am without having found my ultimate confidante here.

, you aren't the icing on the cake, nor any of the ingredients for that matter... You're the chef; you're the baker that made the cake.

 

---

Knowing that MLP:FIM has reached her fifth birthday, all I can say is...

Thank you for the love you've been able to spread to so many people.  You have changed the world, for you've changed all of our lives in a way that words cannot even be reckoned to explain.  

God Bless <3

~ Miles

[tKestrel 243]

Very well said Miles!!

 

That was the most touching story Ive ever heard. MLP really is great. I wish I could be more like u when it comes to being active around here. Im just now starting to learn to navigate around here and trying to post a little more. I a really shy type so I dont talk out of my term much. I am still a relatively closeted brony, but I will talk about it with my most trusted friends. I usually wont care about people seeing me drawing MLP, but i still keep to myself about it to most.

Being here has helped me to try and be more open to people. I even editted my profiles About me page lol. I had it rather simple since i joined.

MLP. FiM and MLP Forums have really helped so many people learn to express themselves and help push them through life. and your story is a prime example of why i love this show!!! Id love to see someone say how the shows they play on tv now could do what MLP does for so many lol

 

Thank you Hasbro!! Cheers to another spectacular 5 years!

[BritishBrony2012 821]

It Five years of MLP, as for joining the fandom it nearly four years aniversay I think. There some great episodes and most great ponies and also MLP give fandoms some inspartion on arts, animations, music and fictions.

[Denim&Venöm 19,150]

Lemme see. 5 years ago, I was enjoying college and enjoying the positive changes in my life following my High School graduation. I wouldn't discover MLP for another year and a half, but it came when I needed it the most. 

 

Here's to another 5 years.

 

Pinkie! Where U at? it is time to break out the party cannons!

[rarity1 461]

All the events in my life has lead me to watching ponies!

I got bored and watched a random cartoon my sister liked.  Now I'm a fan of the show.

[Jeric 46,854]

It has only been a year and a half for me so when I see five years I inwardly sigh at how much I missed. I'm not going to bore you all with my journey tale here, but looking back on being a fan of the show and the fandom ... it is plainly obvious that it had an impact. While I do not act differently in real life or online since becoming a fan, it has helped deepen my relationship with my kids and opened me up to some interesting people who I consider friends.

 

That makes this show and this fandom a positive element in my world, and I am a better person because of it.

 

Thanks FiM.

[Changeling Neon 391]

I became a pegasister maybe half a year ago, and since then, I've noticed I've been a lot brighter since then. I know I should probably have more to say, but I know that this show has really helped my life.

[VengefulStrudel 1,491]

It's only been about 2.5 years for me, but wow, those passed by so fast, heh. Feels like it was just a month or two ago that I started watching these pastel horses

 

Happy anniversary MLP! Thanks for all the fun times and new friendships MLP! And here's to more years~

Edited October 11, 2015 by VengefulStrudel

[HackTune 177]

5 Years ago, my english is really bad so i don't ussualy understand anything about show/animated in english. 2 years later my english became better (like don't understand sarcasm bad) but still bad. in 2014 my english became natural for me. i saw ponies and mlp from the internet but i tend to ignore it. until 1 month ago. the pilot episode and now can't stop watching the show and the fandom is really awesome. now i regreted that i didn't check out what's mlp years ago. but still
better late than never

Happy Anniversary MLP:FIM the show changed my life

Edited October 11, 2015 by HackTune

[Shimmer Sparkle 4,101]

Thank you MLP: FiM! I've been a brony for eight months and I'm a closet brony. Pretty much, the only person in real life who knows I watch the show is my younger 15-year-old sister because she's pretty much the only one who would accept me for being a brony. During my senior year in high school, I became so stressed to the point where I was considering suicide. I always thought of doing it but in reality I never had the actual willpower to do it. But the thought still remained. I was a mess! I fell behind in all my classes but I managed to pick myself up... except for language arts. I failed to graduate on time and went to summer school and I passed and got my diploma. As for discovering MLP, I had seen fan art of the show on DeviantArt during my senior year but my struggle in school made me forget about it until early this year.

 

In early 2015, I read about these so-called "bronies" and I remembered seeing art of that show so I started watching it in February. In April, I found MLPF through Google Images so I explored the site and in late August I became a member and here I am: happy and smiling again.

 

It would have been fun to have known about the show when it first aired but at least I found it when I needed it the most. I'm also thankful for everyone I've met here on MLPF. This fandom and this show have changed my life so much, I feel like I can't stress that enough. Happy 5th Anniversary MLP: FiM!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

 

 

                                     HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY MLP: FiM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited October 11, 2015 by Shimmer Sparkle

[Brayden32100 2]

How Do You Know If You Won??

 

[Chara 1,565]

MLP Forums has been around for 4 years, but tomorrow will be the 5th birthday of the show!  The first episode aired on 10/10/10

Kinda like how Skyrim released on 11/11/11.

[One-Punch Man 316]

 

Thank you all for Five Years of Friendship!

[Simon 4,557]

Thanks to everybody for participating in this giveaway!  The contest is closed and the winners will be contacted shortly for their addresses!

 

I can't say how happy I am with the turnout for this contest, and how much fun I had reading everybody's posts in here and their social media posts!

[Starlight Fan 538]

5 years ago... I was a really, really stupid person who really, really shouldn't've been let on the internet. Magical horses happened in 2011 I think. Too long, don't remember, sigh.

 

HAPPY TEN DAY LATE BIRTHDAY MLP

JUST THOUGHT I'D SAY

_{BECAUSE I DIDN'T SAY
AND I FEEL BAD}

^{_{AND NOW I'M BEING VERY AWKWARD}}

Edited October 20, 2015 by Timesten

[JonasDarkmane 19,787]

Since I never posted here, I just want to wish the forums a late happy birthday ;T.