CONFURENCE EAST 2: MY FIRST FURRYCON

Let me preface a bit, saying the bulk of this page was written in 1996 just after I had returned from my what was my first furry convention. Up until that point of my life I had really felt alone. Once finding the furry internet, I felt better. However, it was the going to this convention, and seeing in flesh-and-blood all these furs who were just like me, that was a turning point in my life forever.

What's my point here? The cliche' of the net "changing your life" was completely true for me. My weekend at CFE made it solid. I never dreamed I could walk around in a fursuit in public and be admired, not stared at. Then again, I've walked around plenty in a fursuit without being at a con, and staring no longer bugs me, but it did back then.

ON WITH THE GORY DETAILS...

CB tagged to CFE with Smash Greywolf. (I was a big CB'er a few years back and when you talk to someone else on a road trip, the time passes much faster.) Arrived at the con. I had to take a picture of "Welcome Confurence Members " on the marquee. Then I went off on my own, and felt uncomfortable at the site of non-fursuited furries being furry, (huggles,skritching ,sniffing.) It's a lot to see for a first timer, I was expecting a room of fursuiters, but I saw a LOT of people and they were of all different types. There was a fursuiter or two but it wasn't what I expected. I registered using Ricochet and went to explore. I went into the very busy art room. Yiffy, spoogy, drooly, and back out to the also busy dealer room. I didn't know what to look for, so I was searching for animation cells. Not finding any, I walked out of the art room and called home. I was only 15 minutes from my home, and my mom wanted me to come to dinner. You see, it was about 6PM and I was feeling completely out of the loop. I didn't want to keep following around Smash like a scared puppy since I'd just met him the night before. I didn't really know anybody at this con, and the place was so new. I decided to seek shelter at my mom's for dinner. I decided he MUST TELL my mom about my fursuit and the new found happiness I'd found with Furry. I showed up at her door in my fursuit and hugged her. She was amazed, listened and understood. I was very happy that she got some of the new madness that I had found, and then scarfed a turkey dinner.

Now fully confident, I donned my fursuit and drove back to the con like the Shaggy Dog. I passed Smash and waved at his minivan load of furs. They dug that I could drive in my fursuit. After a little while of looking around at the con, Smash turned the corner with his big husky fursuit, and I bounced down the hall and got my first real life fursuit hug! It was one small step for Smash, one giant leap for my personal furryness. Next was the PET AUCTION. I foolishly thought people were asking if my fursuit was for sale, really they were asking if I was for sale! I found out what the pet auction was indeed all about, and was too damn nervous to participate. I did get asked by the auction administrator if I was going in the sale, apparently I could have drawn a nice price for the charity, Wolf Park, but again, I was much too uneasy with the auction idea. I went to my Mom's, as I didn't have a hotel room.

SATURDAY

I went to visit more friends before going to an internet seminar at the con. I also went to a HALLMARK for a birthday card for my mom. The ladies in the store were in costume. (One a boy scout, the other had bunny ears a bunny plushie!) Well, anywhere there's costumes now, my fursuit has to make an appearence. I gave the ladies a thrill by returning with my fursuit on. A lady in a bird zoot came out from the back , and we posed for a pic. (It turns out they were promoting Hallmark's X-mas stuff and the store's grand opening.) I got back to CFE and was able to check into a room. My mom was willing to buy me a room there for a night. I ended up paying for it, but who cares. I put on the fursuit collar and wear my furry footsies. Since I didn't want to wear the fursuit all day, it was the next best thing. Wear a collar in public without a fursuit? I was like some sort of punk rocker or something. I went for the internet meeting, but there wasn't one, so I asked a really nice fur, Tigerwolf, if there was a terminal to do chatting with. ( I was a Yiffnet junkie back in 1996) He asked why I wasn't on FurryMuck. Well, I'd always thought FurryMuck was a game, and I'm not a gamer. He smiled and showed me how wrong I was. Even after three hours of explaining FM, he was nice enough to download an IRC client for me. I could only have guest status on FM anyway, and I wanted to talk to my friends on Yiffnet.

After a visit with a non-furry friend, I came back, showered and "got into character" (Pulp Fiction Refurence) for the big masquerade. Big PRIZES!!! Actually, it was a hurry up and wait fest. I'd never spent three hours inside my fursuit before. I didn't have much of an act, got on stage and did a few stupid things, then jumped off vowing to be prepared next time, since I know what to expect. Next came the weird part, I walked to a picture room and stood silently while other non fursuited furs took pictures. It was so quiet, and eerie. Like I was on display in a pet shop. I could hear the non-fursuited furs drooling, and don't blame them. I drooled over several fursuits myself. It was meet the furry press. I then waited, and waited and waited for the judging. Finally I heard the stains of Devo's remix of Girl U Want , put my fursuit head back on and went to dance! I then went to a nearby Taco Slam and pigged out on burritos.

Well, I didn't feel comfortable about finding a "party", so after dinner I went to the internet room and went to Yiffnet. I stayed there all night until I was booted from the room with one other furry at 6AM. I never felt more comfortable about my furryness without the fursuit then when I was in that room. 20 furs tapping away in dim light while I talked to my furfriends in my favorite place on the net. Quite relaxing really. A bomb could have gone off, and I would have simply typed "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."

SUNDAY (Check out time 12:00)

Well, being up for new experiences and all, for the first time since getting a furry top for my fursuit, I awoke wearing the fursuit. (Figured what the hell, might as well try it once.) I took it off, packed it all carefully away, and turned on the TV. One of my favorite movies, STRIPES was on. I quoted the lines as they were said. "Have That Removed!" - "How's it goin' Eisenhower?" - "A lean mean fightin' machine!" I packed my car and checked out, then looked for Smash to see what he was up to. I made the mistake of forgetting Smash was going on a field trip to Monstermakers. (A Cleveland-based special effects shop.) So I walked around more, then came to Yiffnet once more, then hung my collar on the rear view mirror and drove off happy!

The smile on my face never left.

The warm feeling never left.

Yes, it was an incredible experience, then to tell it right away on the WWW, that was wonderful. I will always look back at that con as being such a great time. I also have a lot of sad feelings that I didn't do more. I say this now because Trish Ny, the CFE organizer has cancelled any further cons. There are a lot of reasons I guess, but it's none of my business . I'm happy she made the conventions happen. I'm happy for CFE. There was a spark of hope for MoreFurCon. Trish had cancelled CFE for 1997 but weeks later said 1998 was a go. This isn't the case anymore. Still, I have faith there will be a furrycon in my hometown. Oh well. Thanks Trish, and anyone else with the motivation to make a convention happen.

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