With today being the last day of Glee filming I've kinda been reflecting on my life and stuff. This is really long sorry.
Glee came into my life the summer after Freshman year of high school. At that point in my life I really needed to feel part of something special because I didn't have any friends. Like even thinking back I'm just like DAMN how did i LIVE i was so ALONE. I'm an incredibly shy person and my life was incredibly uneventful and just blah.
Glee really shaped my life. It's so weird to think a television show paved the way for so many things (good and bad) in my last few years. Glee brought me closer to my sister, and I'm so glad we've shared this love for Kurt and Blaine together. I (my parents) literally drove 6 hours to NYC, 8 hours to Cleveland, Ohio, and to DC for Darren Criss. I can't believe I waited hours in a crowded room anxious as hell for Chris Colfer and got to meet him. I can't believe I got 200+ people to watch Original Song at once. I can't believe all the hours I've spent enjoying the music that Glee has introduced me to. I can't believe I've written 100k+ words of fanfiction and developed a love for writing and television/entertainment.
However, I've always said it wasn't the show, but the people I've shared this show with. If I hadn't found tumblr, Glee probably would just be a show I really really like (like Friends, Lost, etc). I'm incredibly lucky to have been a fan of a show that was so social-media driven, because it allowed me to learn the in-and-outs of the entertainment industry, NOT TO MENTION PR BECAUSE AHAHA people.
This cast is the greatest cast that will ever exist on television. Period. They are so diverse, talented, and understand that what they are doing has greater implications than just entertainment. I've gone through loss and felt grief in a way I never have before, and this group of people have taught me lessons that I will forever be grateful for.
This fandom has changed a lot over the years and I've seen so many people grow into amazing young adults. Sometimes I go back and look at the beginning of my blog just to remember how young I was when I first started watching Glee. You can totally tell I was 15-years-old back then. I went through some rough experiences with anon hate, indirect hate, etc, but the love I received will always be so much greater. I did some things I'm not proud of...like a certain incident with...a youtube video...but it taught me valuable lessons about being the bigger person and looking at people as individuals rather than groups. I thank fandom for that.
I don't think I'm really upset about Glee ending as a show because it ran its course and it's time now, but I'm afraid of what's to come when there isn't a common bond between so many of the friends I've made. I know it's unrealistic to say I'll be friends with all of you forever, but there are some individuals that I hope I will never say goodbye to even if I must say goodbye to Glee. You guys changed my life for the better and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Without Glee I wouldn't be doing all the things I'm doing now. I'm so glad I got to see some of the set and meet Chord!! before it was finished filming. I'm so privileged to have the friends and experiences I do today because of Glee, and I'm excited to see what the future will bring. Without Glee, I wouldn't have a passion for equality and love, and that might be the greatest gift Glee has given me.
Peace,
Rachel
