What Happens Next: A Gallimaufry

melancholic romantic comic cynic. bi & genderqueer. fantasy writer. sysrae on ao3.

This is me, age 31, with Panda, the stuffed toy I’ve had since I was a baby. He still lives in my bedroom, often sitting on the bed or the bedside table. I’m posting this because I know that, as you become a teenager or a young adult, there’s a...

This is me, age 31, with Panda, the stuffed toy I’ve had since I was a baby. He still lives in my bedroom, often sitting on the bed or the bedside table. I’m posting this because I know that, as you become a teenager or a young adult, there’s a general social expectation that you stop caring about beloved childhood toys. Lots of people think that it’s somehow babyish to acknowledge their meaning as you grow up, or to keep hanging on to them past a certain point, especially for boys. And I just wanted to say that, actually, it’s perfectly fine to keep hold of things that are special to you. There’s nothing shameful in admitting that a comfort object is comforting, or in wanting to keep one close for whatever reason. So don’t feel pressured to give up something you love just because you feel like getting older means you have to, or because some toxic definition of masculinity says men can’t like soft things. Rejecting childhood isn’t the same as being an adult.   

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  7. starshine-magic said: I have a medium-sized brown stuffed dog I’ve had since valentines day before I even turnt 1.(I am currently 15-16) I called him Gaki, my mom told me to throw him away multiple times and if I kept him, I was a baby. I persisted because he was basically my best friend, even though he is an inanimate toy. I’m taking this lil guy to the grave because he’s been with me no matter what.
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