A/N: I interrupt this regularly scheduled programming to broadcast a public announcement. This is not a test.
I am not on Tumblr. I have been on that site more in the last 72 hours than in my previous thirty-plus years of life outside of the womb (truth: my birthdate is October 12).
I am disappointed, discouraged and frankly, appalled at what I have read and seen. There seems to be a civil war among the Chelsie fandom over what is, or is not, appropriate to write in regards to two fictional characters and how they are portrayed. Why this is happening now, when canon is beginning to reflect our collective imagination, I have no idea. It defies logic.
Being new to this fandom, I assumed there was some underlying factor going on. The only point of contention I can see is one of personal preference. If I am missing something, please, someone PM me privately and tell me. I do not wish to offend anyone. However, I am offended, and I respect you all too much to keep my opinion hidden.
What follows is my own personal philosophy in regards to fandom, and even life in general. Take it or leave it.
We are all here for a reason. Whether you believe in God, or are spiritual, or neither. But we are here to lift each other up, not tear each other down. On our best days, we encourage our neighbors' gifts, whatever they are. In writing, some have the gift of writing a gentle romance. Some writers are wickedly funny. Some write prose that is lyrical, others are more pedantic. Some write K, others dive into the deep end of the pool, into M.
And they are all beautiful, and lovely, because when someone writes a story, it is an extension of themselves. And each one of us is beautiful and lovely in different ways.
It takes a tremendous amount of courage to put our writing out there for the universe to see. We all know that. Over the past few months, I have read everything from K to M, from fluff to angst. Some of it I enjoyed more than others.
But I learned, and continue to learn, from all of it.
The most disappointing fact from the posts on Tumblr is this: that there are those who feel they cannot continue writing and sharing their creative gifts, due to being told said gifts, and thus in a way themselves, do not belong.
This is a travesty. I do not believe that anyone who has expressed an opinion on the matter intended to have such an effect on their fellow neighbors.
To those who lean toward a more dignified, respectful approach to the Chelsie fandom – I love you. I appreciate what you are saying. One of the great gifts of the characters as originally written is their restraint, their respect for each other. It makes their courtship all the more satisfying, because we can watch their progression. Fics that concentrate on this aspect (yes, that word) have a lovely, romantic feel to them. They explore different sides to the relationship we have gotten to know and love.
To those who lean toward the racier aspects of the Chelsie fandom – I love you. I appreciate what you are saying. If there was no spark at all between the actors, no hint of romantic dialogue in canon, then we would have no leg to stand on. But there has been much of the former, and more of the latter, so indeed to take that and run with it in fanfiction and Tumblr is natural. And sometimes, we crave a bit of naughtiness. It's what makes us human.
We all belong. The last thing we need is to lose gifted people. There is no right way, or wrong way, to celebrate the Chelsie fandom. The way I intend to celebrate it, is to continue writing, whether it's K, T or M.
While I'm not prepared to divulge my real identity now, here's some things about me I freely share. I almost died when I was born, and it was only the grace of God and the skill of doctors and nurses at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis that kept me alive. My best friend from high school has cystic fibrosis, and if not for a double-lung transplant a decade ago, she would not be here, planning to publish a book. I believe life is a gift, and it should never be taken for granted.
I love the St. Louis Cardinals, C.S. Lewis, and fried chicken. I am a member of SCBWI, an international organization of creative people who create children's literature. I am a Lutheran. The favors at my wedding were chocolate chip cookies, my favorite. I ran cross-country in high school. My fastest time in a 5K race is 23:26.
My family and friends are everything to me. Both my parents and my in-laws have been married for 30+ years. My twin sister has children, as does my brother. I do not.
My grandfather's name is Charlie, a family name. My grandmother's name is not Elsie, but she has a name that sounds similar. As of today, they have been married for 62 years. My other grandparents were married until my grandfather died suddenly; my grandmother never remarried.
I sing in my church choir as an alto. Music is in my blood. I love Charles-Marie Widor's Toccata on the organ, Julie Andrews, instrumental movie soundtracks, oldies music, and American country music. And the Backstreet Boys. Judge away.
If my life had a theme song, it would be Reba McEntire's song, "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain".
My initials in real life are ALL.
I love ALL of you, lovely Chelsie fandom. Let's enjoy this last series, shall we?
Keep calm, Chelsie on!