I was in the furry closet, but am not any more.
For those that believe there is no closet to be in, your wrong. I'm sorry I do not mean to offend here. I'm just speaking from my own experience. It is very much a self esteme thng. When you dont have much self esteme you become bery worried about what others think about you. You become so afraid of what others will think of you if you deviate from the normal that it can paralize you.
Last year I began counceling for another subject and and durring that counceling had a lion dream that was so compelling that when I woke up I was grief striken that the dream had ended. As I looked for some meaning from that dream I discovered the furry fandom and realized that it was where I belonged but that was not the end of the story.
I fought with my self bitterly over entering the fandom. For me it was definately a taboe. Adults wanting to be animals? Its not right. Its weird. My freinds and aquaintances wont approve. My self esteme was even lower than it had been before but I went ahead anyday as it seamed the only way I could find any happyness.
I delved into the forum of furtopa and joined the irc and began to talk to other furs. I began to make art and write stories. These things gave and give me great happyness. I have come to accept my furryness and found that I actually have something of value to contribute to the world, but I still had to and ocasionaly still have to deal with the doubts that crop up now and then.
I started putting furry stuff on my facebook page and displaying my art work everywhere I was capable of doing. I deluded my self into think my wife was up to speed on what I was up to. I did not hide it but was not very fourthcoming either. I assumed that she had rea the stuff I had on my face book and would have to of come to the proper conclusion. Boy was I wrong.
She was oblivious. A non furry freind of hers or maybe not so non furry, the jury is not in on that,
asked her if I was a furry because of posts i had on my fb page. She came home, googled furries, read the worst, then asked me if im a furry. I told her I was and was immidiately baraged with the standard questions. All I can say is 1, don't assume your mate knows what your thinking, 2, dont let circumstances do your work for you, and 3, I owe that person a huge thanks because the did me a huge favor. Now My wife knows Im furry and over time she may come to accept it.
I feel much better about my self now and frankly don't care who knows anymore. I dont make any efforts to hide my furryness, but on the other paw, I don't push it on people. I'm just being who I am and the chip will fall where they may. I am going to loose freinds over this but also am making new ones. My true freinds know who I truely am and will be curious but will remain. To the others, Im sorry you feel you cannot be a freind any more but I will keep you in my prayers.
I have spoken to my sister inlaw about furryness and other issues. She is such an accepting person that I am so glad to have been blessed with. She will be a rock in my life while I figure out what the rest of it is going to look like. By the way I received a gift of a lion hat from a couple freinds in Ohio for Christmas. I will be wearing it in church next weekend.
If I've rambled on, I'm sorry. But I do love to talk.