Commonwealth Avenue: Week One

So, we’ve been a micronation for a bit over a week now, and I must say the welcomes I have received over the last few days have made me feel so very welcome and at home. Really, you guys don’t know how much it means to me.

I make no secret of it, I’ve never fit in with my peers. Right through primary school and at the present time high school, I’ve always been a bit of an outcast because I’m “different”. Alright, so I’m not a sporty jock like the rest of you. I don’t drink, smoke or consume drugs. I don’t party. I haven’t staked claim on half the girls in town. Because of this, I seem to be a sort of weirdo.

I admit, I do some stuff that some people might raise their eyebrows at, like drawing maps for example. Yes, I draw maps. Fully fledged maps. They’re not of real places and I just make them up as I go, but it’s a sort of hobby of mine. I also like road signs, and I have a fine collection of photographs and a small collection of roadgeek paraphernalia.

One thing I am tired of hearing is a popular myth that I am homosexual. I mean no offence to the gay and bisexual members of the micronational community when I say I AM NOT GAY. Despite what people have thought for at least the last five years, I have never had an attraction to members of the same sex. I’ve had a girlfriend. Yes, one, but that doesn’t mean that I’m gay. Because of the alienation I experienced during my later school years, I never knew how to interact with girls and such my social skills are somewhat stunted. But I’m learning and I believe I am getting better at it.

It’s fair to say I was persecuted for being me.

But it seems micronationalism has saved me. I have found a community where I can pretty much be myself and nobody says anything against it. It’s an odd gathering of like-minded individuals, but I feel at home. The way I see it, I’m not forced to conform to what everyone else thinks. We’re all individuals, and we’re all human. We’re free.

I can’t thank you guys enough for the warm welcomes you’ve given me. I feel like I’ve been welcomed into the community with open arms and finally I have found somewhere where I fit in. Thank you all so much, it really means a lot to me.

Daniel Anderson