It's difficult to explain all of this but I'll try to keep it brief.

After a boring childhood I'd settled into a life which, while agreeable, lacked something. My social circles were older and staid in their outlook. I really desired some fun, some adventure, a more colourful existence.

I'm not sure how I found fursuiters on YouTube, but I watched them a fair bit. I watched suiters like Volf; Marko T Rat and Ristin Raccoon doing some weird Disney song spoof... also there was an Australian furry dance video that captivated me the most which unfortunately has gone from the net.

I was peering through a window into this amazing world and yet never had the courage to do something about becoming one myself. Never. I didn't know where to start, what to do, it was beyond me. I wouldn't fit in.

For years I was like this, until the evening of 18th of February 2012. I was sat on a bench in Victoria Square in Birmingham City Centre, waiting in the freezing cold for a meeting. I was tired as fuck, so the nonsensical sight of animal people across the other side of the square was confusing. Then I realised, they were furries. They'd gone by the time I decided to go across and see them but I spent the rest of the night totally distracted. I had a real opportunity, was I able to make it?

From their appearance in Birmingham I assumed there were local fursuiters. I forget what I googled but it led me to the ukfur.org forums. I joined. I read so much on that site, to gain a deeper understanding of the fandom. I was like Johnny Five in the bookstore (MAJOR INPUT!).

Six weeks after that evening on the bench, I met local furs and began going to meets, making friends I know and love to this day.

Ten weeks after that evening on the bench I put in a commission for a fursuit with Mercury, which then got accepted and made, a suit I've spent countless hours in having amazing fun, he's a treasured possession.

And now we are four years on. I sometimes consider that if it wasn't for that chance sighting, that brief encounter with a passing subculture I wouldn't be here: having fell down this rabbit hole, I'm in the best phase of my life. The world is a weird place and even though at times it's not been plain sailing I feel blessed to have become part of you, the furry fandom.

This is a photo of the actual bench I was sat on on that night. Taylor ( http://corgi-kid.tumblr.com/ ) did the rest, I knew he'd do a smashing job.