Eternally Grateful
The Vlogbrothers and the Nerdfighter community have seriously impacted my life in so many ways, it's insane. I remember my first encounter with the community – my sister showed me the 2D glasses on DFTBA Records. As a person who suffers from headaches while watching 3D films, I found these glasses absolutely amazing. This led me to look at the YouTube channel and really integrate myself into the community. I started reading John's books when I saw the amazing display of box sets in a bookshop in Kuala Lumpur. As a Nerdfighter in a rural area of Western Australia, the Vlogbrothers certainly hasn't found me any social benefits. And because of this, it makes me completely fangirl to see John's books start to appear in bookstores, and Pizza John shirts occasionally popping up in the city, and that feeling, as you probably know, is the best feeling in the world.
To feel pride and passion about something just feels so amazing, and that's what I love about this community – because here it's okay to feel like that. The most beneficial thing that the Vlogbrothers could have done for me was launch Crash Course, SciShow, and introduce Emily Graslie and the Brainscoop. It's because of Crash Course that I actually passed S&E and science last year, and it's because of SciShow and the Brainscoop that I did my work experience in April at the Western Australian Museum.
For this, I am eternally grateful – I enjoyed it so much. Other things like the P4A, have seriously increased my levels of hope for this world. Again, as an Asian girl living in a country where the Prime Minister is a racist and misogynistic twat, I had completely lost hope in this world. But witnessing the P4A and how everyone comes together to help people, not as the usual western saviors, but as equals, is, basically, really freaking cool. So really – I'm so grateful for this community. It's benefited me in educational, inspirational and, most importantly, entertaining ways. It's helped me discover what I'm really passionate about, what I would like to do more, and that I actually can do it. That, just because I, and my family, are not necessarily welcome in my country, doesn't mean that I'm unable to pursue the things that I enjoy. Thank you so much, and DFTBA.
Taylor (Tumblr: montparsexy)
