7 year old me heard Welcome to the Black Parade for the first time from an older cousin and really enjoyed it.
9 year old me is told they can't go into Hot Topic and they should not look like that or listen to that. (Note that I recently found out she gets someone else to go in there to buy me gift cards now)
11 year old me is told they can pick out a concert for their birthday and wouldn't you know MCR was going to be playing the month before with Blink-182. But they were given Carrie Underwood tickets.
13 year old me got their first computer and solely used it to watch music videos and interviews from MCR, FOB, and other bands (also marvel but this is a band post). Later they were sobbing because they missed their chance to ever see MCR. This is about the time they realised they weren't straight.
15 year old me for unrelated reasons was hospitalized for various mental reasons, but gets back into MCR and other bands from the pop punk and emo scenes after not listening to them since the announced break up.
17 year old me sees FOB for the pre-mania tour, this is a defining moment because they had never been to a concert of their choosing before (looking at you grandma). This is about the time they realised they weren't cis, also when they listened to hHessiant Alien for the first time and got Twitter so see Gerard's tweets on pronouns and things.
19 year old me is devastated they don't have enough money to get to the reunion show in LA (that 20 year old me was able to but tickets for the tour later) but at least they received hella mega tour tickets to see FOB again.
21 year old me has graduated college and is working in the medical field in the height if a pandemic. Tickets for every concert they have has been post poned for at least a year if not more. They also finally come out as Nonbinary.
23 year old me has become reobsessed with the thing that saved my life all those years ago and is still saving my life today.
I cannot express how much love and acceptance I feel from these guys. I will always stand by that My Chem and Fall Out Boy saved my life. And I've always been proud to be part of these music scenes because I've rarely met someone in these music scenes or alt asetics that don't encourage you to be you and keep fighting. And now I have more bands and singers like Set It Off or Yungblud.
I dont remember much of my childhood but I remember the music and the messages. And that's why I'm still here today
