Have you ever noticed the best moments of your life are with other people? How rare is it that the best moments of our lives are when we are alone. Sure, we have epiphanies that we remember in our lives, but when it comes to moments of celebration or of laughter or of happiness…I’m pretty sure those moments involved other people.

I had the great honor of staffing at Anime Conji this year. It was quite an experience. I witnessed a great number of people who share the same passion for anime, congregate for a weekend, and create connections with one another. Sure, the event had a few hiccups here and there, but at the end of the day the main goal was reached. The event was an arena for similar minds to meet, greet, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate the joy that anime brings to each other’s lives.

I think in our society we tend to forget the importance of being part of a community. We are brought up to be independent and fend for ourselves because no one else will, but I think that is to our own detriment. While it is true that we should take care of ourselves, the trust that we try to contain within ourselves will only implode. I think we should all be part of a community of like-minded folks. I enjoyed being part of the Anime Conji community and listening to various people discuss all sorts of animes from different time periods. I had a blast with the Strawberry Scented Burnout family and I look forward to next year’s Anime Conji. Hopefully by then, I would know a little bit more about animes and the otaku culture. =P

Here are my favorite pictures from the weekend. Don’t you just love shared experiences? It makes the moment so much more fun and so much more real!!