You said everything you have serves a purpose – to many, MANY humans out there, “I like the way it looks on my shelf/wall/dresser” is purpose enough to keep something around. Or hell, try, “sentimental value.”

(rant time)

I’m 23 and a girl, and one of my biggest passions in life is cartoons and toy collecting. While girls like me are a dime a dozen in the wonderful land of internet, this is NOT the case in any of my social circles (or at least, wasn’t for years). I never grew out these things, if anything age has only made me care more about the artistic qualities of animation or a good mold. Both these things make me very, very, happy. However, almost every person in my life has told me I should be ashamed of these things and I should grow the fuck up.

In my teens, I was teased a lot by ‘friends’ who preferred adult pass times like getting high or getting shit-faced, both things I didn’t enjoy myself. But when you have every person close to you laughing at you for seeing the latest cartoon movie solo or how you were excited that the Disney Store got a Ludwig Von Drake doll in stock… well, it was hard not to feel like shit. It got to the point where I would put myself down all the time. Asking myself why the hell couldn’t just like ‘adult’ things without feeling like I’m putting on a front.

For a long time I put my hobbies aside and tried to be what other people wanted me to be. This really, really, really did not work out. If anything I came down with a terrible case of being a miserable fuck. After a while I cut these ‘friends’ out of my life, but it made me really cautious to ever let anyone know that side of me. Even as I got a bit more comfortable with myself, I would still try to keep any and all toy/doll related purchases quiet.

Then you’d see movies like The 40 Year Old Virgin that would drive this point home even further. You have a guy like Andy, who’s a very nice and sweet guy. Just socially awkward. He meets Trish and he’s nothing but the best boyfriend in the world to her. Except, oh shit. He collects toys and rides a bike to work! Those aren’t qualities of an adult who deserves a relationship. Better change that noise now if you want this girl to accept you. The worst Trish had to do was accept the fact Andy hadn’t had sex. He had to give up a lifelong hobby and start changing for a woman who’s quick to belittle his lifestyle and accuse him of being a pervert/possible serial killer a little too quickly. I hated the message of their relationship, if anything it super bummed me out.

I’ve been reading Shortpacked for years and it’s hands down my favorite webcomic. When Drew started to give mention about Ethan, the character I resonate with the most, changing his habits. I was sure the comic was going to pull a 40 Year Old Virgin. The fact it ended with Ethan standing up for his hobbies floored me. I’m so used to collecting being something to be mocked or ‘fixed’. This was the first time I haven’t seen a collector be told ‘You care about toys more than a person? Are you a moron? You need to give that shit up so you can be with a person who’s willing to leave you over a harmless hobby that makes you happy’.

As silly it might sounds, this break up conversation stuck with me in a big way since it’s original posting. I would remember this every time my mother would put me down for having toys in MY apartment. But like Ethan, my collecting isn’t destructive. I have a healthy social life, a good job, and I pay all of my bills before making a purchase. I’ve gotten to the point that whenever someone wants to put me down over my hobbies, which they still do, I remind them how I can spend my money however I damn well pleased. That life can be a giant shit-fest at the best of times, and I refuse to feel guilty over one of my few pleasures in life.

So yeah, the message of tl;dr post is the very opposite of Damn you, Willis! Thanks.

Drew has shown little interest in Ethan, except when it comes to belittling Ethan’s activities.