[Manelwen]

My grandmother was the most precious person in my life, I regarded her as my role model for she was great in many ways. So loving and caring and I could never imagine life without her. Until she died. After her funeral, I had to move 3000 miles away, to Edmonton. I had no friends, no one to speak with and school was worse than it had ever been in my life. I stayed in the library of that little middle-school and read, and read with no real desire to make friends. I had a girl come up to me and give me a book that she had told me was excellent. It was 'The Eagle and the Raven' by Pauline Gedge. Not quite fantasy, but fiction based on historical facts (Wonderful to get into if you love celt history-Queen Boudicca and that stuff) I loved it. I went in search of more fantasy novels until I stumbled across The Hobbit. That was the first pure fantasy novel I ever read. I hungered for more and went out searching.

Those books pulled me through a great crisis in my life because of all the diversities and perils the characters went through were in some way, what I was going through (Minus the dragons, elves, dwarves and Gryffyns and any other mythical beast I have not mentioned). When I left that school, I was a different person with different goals. I went back to my old town and all of my old friends told me how much I had changed. Even my hobbies have been changed. I used to be the typical airhead. All clothes, make-up and boys. Now, I am more concerned with writing, drawing and reading because I realized I wanted to make my own book. I am proud to be called a 'Gamer' and I know that being accepted isn't all that good; being yourself is the best.

I don't think it was specifically Fantasy that rescued me from a terrible time in my life, but it was the only thing I would read. When I left the Middleschool, I was given a book by the teachers for my keen reading skills. The name of the book was The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradely, another book that was oozing with delicious celtic history and myths that were from the very lands my family came from.

I don't mean to pick on you. KingCarlton, for I do admire you, but I cannot help but feel a little at odds with your thread... Many people have different ways to cope with the pain and problems of their lives. Shrinks may say it is unhealthy, teachers and parents think it is the best thing for a person to do. Fantasy may be a way to tell a person a true story in a way that will not drag them down to face the realities of life and in today's day and age, it has become harder to bare. As I said before, magic and myth has been leeched out through computers and science and has destroyed what hope there is. For fantasy is the stuff hope thrives and grows on. I am constantly reading stale textbooks, utterly depressing newspapers and grim biographies; once in a blue moon, a nice thick and juicy fantasy novel makes me feel better again. So whether it be kick boxing, running, reading or writing, they are our ways of expressing and getting rid of all those painful thoughts inside of us.

This is my longest post yet. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I am so proud of myself.

-Manelwen