TKLFest 2023 (Patreon)

You know, a few years ago cynical me would've scoffed at the idea of something called "Fest Drop" but here I am 100% experiencing it. It's hard to put into words what the last 4 days meant to me, but I'm gonna try. 

I waited a very long time to fully connect with the community at Fest. I'm not the most social person. I'm an only child. I wasn't popular in school. I've never been someone with a lot of gay male friends. I'm not the kind of person who walks into a party and craves to be the center of attention. The fact that I'm a known name in the tickle circles put a little extra layer of anxiety on all of that. People knew my work, but they didn't know my face. Also, last year in Atlanta I was going for the first time as a 52 year old, not exactly a spring chicken. 

If you feel like I did and that's what's been keeping you from taking the plunge and attending, I can tell you that it's so worth stepping outside your comfort zone and diving in. The organizers have done such a great job over the past few years of making it such a fun and inclusive experience, while keeping all of it entirely optional. If you're a newbie, you'll be welcomed in with open arms. You can attend scheduled time slots where it's all about meeting you and mingling with the fest veterans. You can attend panels where your favorite content creators talk about their work or take a fun class to help you learn some fun (literal) rope tricks. Or not! You can attend as much or as little as you choose to. There's a broad range of ages, sizes, colors etc among the attendees but it's the thing that we all share that really bonds us. 

Because this was the 30th anniversary of this annual gathering, there was special emphasis on several attendees who were actually at that very first one 30 years ago, especially Jon K who hosted it in his house in Chicago. They've come a LONG way since that initial gathering of 16 people. It's so important for people in their early 20s to listen to their elders who can tell them about how difficult it was for them to connect in those times so that they don't take what they have now for granted. 

As sad as I am that it's over, I still feel so incredibly lucky to have found my people and to have been greeted with such warmth and love. Cynical me cried 3 times at the closing ceremony. Thanks to all my new brothers for an unforgettable time.