It’s Not Just a TV Show or How “Supernatural” Changed My Life – by Team WFB
How Supernatural has changed my life.
Sometimes it’s hard to put into words when something has impacted your life. Occasionally it’s out of fear that others will find fault with you or what you say. Fear of disappointment. Or that you think that what has happened to you is not significant compared to others.
But what happens to you, is important to you no matter how big or small.
I have always been a fairly shy person. My family moved around a bit while I was growing up and I never went to a school for more than 2 years. I was perpetually the new kid and being shy and insecure means I didn’t make friends easily….at least to my way of seeing things.
So I progressed into an adult that doesn’t care to do things on my own. I won’t normally go to a movie by myself, for example. However I have a good job and work with people that have done nothing but support and encourage me which has helped immensely. At least here at home. The idea of getting on a plane and flying to a city where I’ve never been and don’t know anyone still makes me unsettled and I can easily find lots of reasons not to do it. Whenever I have travelled away from home I have ALWAYS gone to people I know, even if getting from A to B I did by myself.
Thanks to blogs and YouTube; however, I was starting to see some of what I was missing out on from these conventions. Somewhere around the end of Season 2, beginning of Season 3 I started checking out blogs and Supernatural sites (I started watching the show from the very beginning but this was about the time I REALLY caught the bug) and started making comments that, if they would only hold a convention in Vancouver, then I could afford to go. Distance and travel expenses are a very convenient excuse.
Then Creation announced they were going to have a Vancouver Con. On top of that, my Dad gave me money for Christmas that year. I realized that maybe; just maybe, I should put my money where my mouth is.
I spoiled myself, thinking heck, I can only afford to do this once, so I’ll go Gold. Get the autographs, sit close to the stage, etc, etc. To top it off, I had donated to Support Supernatural’s campaign and was the lucky winner of one of the Dean mini busts. So I even had a special item for Jensen to autograph.
As the first Vancouver Con drew near I started to panic. What was I thinking, what if Jared or Jensen spoke to me when I was in the autograph line? What would I say! I don’t want to look like a babbling idiot! I actually contemplated selling my Gold ticket and cancelling my trip.
But during this period in my life I also met (online) a woman named Alice Jester who was writing my favourite episode reviews and people who thought like me, and her, were flocking to her reviews (and then to the fledgling Winchester Family Business site) and I started to read people’s articles about how awesome everyone was at these events. Fans as well as the Guests of Honour.
So I pulled up my big girl panties, had a good reality check talk to myself and went. Went to Vancouver by myself, stayed in the hotel alone and attended an event that had over 1000 people in attendance and I didn’t know a single one of them.
And I lived to tell the tale.
That was the start of many more positive, self-confidence building experiences for me. I wrote a review of the Con and Alice linked to it on WFB. Then, she came to Vancouver for the 3rd VanCon and she stayed with me!! I stayed in a hotel with a person I had NEVER met in-person before! And I had a GREAT time.
It’s given me new friends from other parts of the world where I have never been. Friends who have invited me to stay with them if I ever get into their neck of the woods, which is still a challenge…I own a horse so travel money is still hard to come by, but the idea does not send me to bury my head under the pillows.
It’s helped me to feel more comfortable in my own skin.
That is a huge gift to me. I owe the SHOW a debt of gratitude for helping me out of my shell, because without Supernatural, I would not have met all the wonderful folks I have, I would never have travelled on my own and I would have missed out on some wonderful experiences.
Thank you Supernatural, and thank all of you for loving the same show I do. It’s been a real pleasure meeting you all.
NEXT – KAREN
I am honored to be included in this lineup of great stories about how this show has fundamentally changed all of our lives.
If not for the show, this site, and all of you, I don’t know where my life would be.
Thanks so much for letting me post here!
Thank you all, every one of you, for your stories. It is wonderful to have you share some of your personal journeys. I laughed, got tears in my eyes and identified with some of your stories. I have nothing so profound to tell. I just know that since I discovered this show it has been very important to me. When I am having a bad week I can look forward to “my show” to pick me up, whether it be a new episode or my old friends, the dvd’s of seasons past. Coming here to this site is also something I look forward to. So many great articles and SPN related news. So many great fans and discussions. So many emotional comments, all because we love or want to continue loving this show of ours.
Thanks again for sharing.
Sorry….posters remorse.
wow what an amazing Article i agree with a lot of stuff especially about Friends Ive made and whom ill prolly never meet in reality When i went to Toronto Con the first one I was so excited it was a dream come true Ive been watching SPN since the begining and because of it I am who I am I know my personality has been affected by Jensen and Jared and Sam and Dean the way they are family oriented and SPNFamily is an amazing and wonerful part of my life has been for the past 8 years its changed my music taste I wouldn’t even known ACDC FORIGNER AND ALL THE OTHER WONDERFUL CLASSIC ROCK BANDS if it wasnt for this show I am more accepting of ppl and to this day i am amazed that weve come this far I remember thinking we wouldnt get past season 1 or 2 and remember signing petitions to keep this show running season 3 writing strike scared me as well SPN might be a little show to ppl whom arent fans but to me Its been a part of my life for the past 8 years and I am so thankful for it…
Supernatural has enriched my life for the last 2 years. I loved the show from the beginning but got busy with life and missed too many episodes. I got caught up by buying DVD sets for all seasons. To satisfy my apparent addiction to this show, I watch the DVDs from season 1 to 7 in continuous rotation. I am only admitting this because I feel I am in the company of understanding souls. While I envelop myself in the world of Supernatural, I live my life as a widow alone, deriving comfort from the show. Sounds somewhat pathetic, but don’t pity me because I am happy. I will be attending my first Supernatural convention this summer in Vancouver. I have something to look forward to. I’ll be meeting my boys.
My other life is teaching high school biology. I love it but I look forward to unwinding at the end of the day with my beloved Supernatural. What do I get out of it? That’s a good question. If anyone said I would be attached to a television show to this extent a few years ago I would say, never would that happen because in all the decades I’ve been watching TV I could be detached enough from my favourite shows to function normally. Supernatural has affected like no other show. I am drawn to the clever, highly entertaining, well-written storylines, and the incomparable relationship of 2 brothers sacrificing their own lives and happiness for the security of others. The poignancy of this concept has moved me like nothing else. There is something powerfully unique about this show that has captivated so many dedicated fans like myself. The cohesion of the show’s producers, writers and cast is at the heart of this attractive show. I love the way Jensen and Jared have portrayed their characters to make us empathize so strongly. With the many losses I have endured in my life, this show has helped me to unleash feelings that I had buried presumably to protect myself. I can cry where before I felt numb. And boy has this show made me cry.
I also have admiration for the way that Jensen and Jared carry out their lives in public – they are humble, decent, family oriented, fun-loving guys who make me proud of them. I feel as though I know them and I feel included as they express their appreciation for the fans. I know the show makes me happier than I would be without it.
Last but not least I love the passion of the fandom and how influential they have become in keeping the show going. So yes, I’m not afraid to admit that the show has changed my life for the better. Long Live Supernatural.
You have each written about things that I can totally relate to… but I’ll just talk about a couple of them (because it’s already a really long comment).
Sweetondean, you mentioned being part of a community that rallies around each other in a time of need… and this is something I’ve only recently discovered. I know the show and the fandom has helped people in times of great distress, but it can even be something as simple as another fan on Twitter sharing a crazy photo of J2 to cheer you up… because they know you’re having a bad day.
Alice, you mentioned the truly amazing people – cast, crew, writers, etc – who feel lucky to have fans like us. I have been completely blown away by the attitude of everyone involved with the show and I truly love the interaction that occurs between the fans and the people who work on the show (whether it’s online or at the conventions). I’m also impressed by the humility of Jared and Jensen, who seem genuinely thankful for their fans, and by the way that they give so much of themselves at the fan conventions (and even to those fans who approach them on the street).
[quote]Alice: It’s all mutual love and respect and it’s freaky! [/quote]
I’m going to my first convention this year – VanCon – and I’m so excited 😀
Far Away Eyes, you mentioned how the fandom can bring such good to the world through its charities. I first started to take notice of the online SPN community at around about the same time Jared Padalecki joined Twitter. I watched with some amazement as his tweet to fans – about donating to St Judes instead of gifts for his yet-to-be-born child – inspired the fandom to raise $40,000. Incredible! I’m also blown away by the work that Misha has done with Random Acts; and the smarts he had to harness the power of social networking to do good in this world.
Man, I totally love what these guys have done… and what they’ve inspired the fandom to do. It’s wonderful :sigh:
Sofia, I think you’ve probably hit the nail on the head for what Supernatural has given me.
[quote]For one thing, Supernatural helped me learn to embrace my inner-nerd. I had never been quite so invested in a show before. I didn’t even know the word “fandomâ€.[/quote]
I have watched Supernatural since day 1 – it filled a void after the X-Files finished – and I’ve always loved it. But it was all in isolation, because no-one I knew watched it… and I didn’t really discover the online fandom until late 2011. At the time, I was visiting my brother in Vancouver and I decided to look online for Supernatural locations. I was lucky enough to find out that they were filming the next day and, believe it or not, I got to see J2 film a couple of scenes. It was so much fun, but I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed to tell my family and friends that this was one of the highlights of my trip. They just didn’t understand.
Anyhow, to cut a long story short, since then, I’ve been totally embracing my inner-nerd. I’ve discovered so many other like-minded people online (many of them on this site, thanks so much). It really is a wonderful, and sometimes crazy, fandom! And my life has been totally enriched by the people that are just beginning to come into my world… all because of this incredible show 😉
I just wanted to say the show is amazing. And the love that they show for each other is what I look for. No matter what they stick together.
I’m relatively new to the show (“relatively†being 2011) and rather new to the fandom, and I was telling my non-fan best friend just yesterday that she should start watching SPN, because “half my life revolves around that showâ€. And she- I’ve known her for more than 11 years and that’s more than half my age- was telling me that she’s never seen me this crazy over a show. Books, yes, I was a total LOTR and Harry Potter nerd, but a TV show? Never. And when I told her I actually know the names of all the actors, their families, the writers on the show, the EPs, the ADs, the hairstylist, the composers, the location scouts…(to give her credit, she didn’t look at me like I was crazy, she just borrowed the first season DVD)
There’s a few things Supernatural has done for me that nothing else has.
It’s given me a community of like-minded people to interact with. This is super-important to me because I live in a rather conservative society and sometimes, I have to really be careful of what I think and what I say. Not to mention I’m stuck in a course that involves minimum squee and maximum cut-throat competition. It’s exhausting and depressing, so I turn to the internet when stuff piles up, and the Supernatural fandom is like a focussing glass, leading me to intelligent, caring, inventive people to share and squeal and have fun with. There’s something to LOL at everyday, even if it’s an inane tweet, a Tumblr picture or an article here. If I have a bad day, I have the gag reel to make me smile. If I’m bored, even if it’s 3 a.m in India, it’s a less unholy time somewhere else in the world and someone’s always around.
(At this point, I’d also like to hug Alice for the Cbox)
Then, like sweetondean said, there’s the writing. It’s depressing staring at a blank word document and wondering where all your words went, like I’d been doing for the past year, but that’s changed since I started writing—oh, wait for it—Fanfiction. I’m already lighting up the house with the constant glow on my face, I’m just so happy I can write again, and 5000 words into inventing stuff in the SPN world, and I’ve automatically started an original WIP. It’s like a miracle cure.
(And it’s weird how you watch something on TV now and you automatically go “Oh, something like this happened in Supernatural once…†and the rest of your family groans: does that happen to anyone else?)
But the really, really, really best most-awesome wonderful part of the show (other than the show itself and J and J, but that’s gonna fill a a book) is that the more I get into it, “embracing the inner nerd†as the saying goes, the more I’m convinced that I’m not alone in this, that there are other people who see the wonder and fun in the whole thing (even though we can all be crabby at times), people all over the world, other people who feel their lives have been changed by that one TV show too, and that is just fricking fabulous.
Already long comment, but I just wanna say one more thing: so many random things are special because of the show. Tuesdays are special, Wednesdays are special, a CCR song is special, a box of salt can be special…there’s a stupid song in my regional language about an Impala (really, an Impala, don’t even ask) and even that song has become special…so yeah. Life. Changed.
Thank you all for this article and all your contributions.
I can’t possibly put into words what this show has come to mean to me. Mainly, I think, because I don’t really understand it myself.
I do wish I’d found it earlier, before (or at least during) the years when life decided to kick me repeatedly where it hurts. 2009 through 2011 were the absolute worst 3 years of my life, and that’s all that needs to be said about them.
I didn’t find this show until the end of season 7….. To say I became obsessed is putting it rather mildly. I have lost count of the number of times I have watched the show – 1.01 straight through 7.23. The gag reels, the youtube videos of cons, fan fictions. And I’ve since joined twitter and tumblr (Heaven help me!)
This site is the only one I go to, so thank you Alice and company. I may read other articles, but have long since given up reading comments on any other sites. Here, I have made some very dear friends and learned a lot about myself. I’ve taken several steps down the road towards acceptance of those horrible, very bad, no good years, and know I still have a ways to go.
My husband understands what this show has done for me, and, thanks to him, I now hold a Gold ticket to Dallascon 2013. I am excited and anxious and quaking in my boots. Hoping I don’t make a fool out of myself! But just the chance of saying thanks to those involved in Supernatural is an opportunity I don’t want to miss.
Looking at my Gold ticket to Dallas right now. I can hardly wait!!! It will be the 2nd vacation trip I’ve taken myself on. Lame for a 50 year old, I know. But what the Hell, right! You really do only live once. Well, at “we” do…
Go for it. I waited too long for a gold ticket. I did get a silver ticket though. I am so looking forward to August in Vancouver. Enjoy yourself, I know I will.
Pushing more years than you dearie, and I don’t apologize for my love of SPN. SPNCON is a blast. Enjoy and drink it all in.
To me, the “gateway fandom” to everything else was Star Wars. Then I watched it, and it came to Star Trek, Dune, LotR & all Tolkien, HP, Temeraire etc.
Game of Thrones led me to Tumblr where I picked up Sherlock (I loved the books as a teen) so I watched it and, naturally, came across SuperWholock. I was a bit afraid of Supernatural because I used to be allergic to horror. But then I was like “I have no problem with blood and I watched Viserys’ death without batting an eyelid, so what?”
When I gave in to SPN (mainly for Cas and the angel/demon/apocalypse stuff) I quickly realized it’s LESS scary than some DW episodes. And there were so many feels. First time I cried was in Hammer of the Gods but it became more frequent. I shipped Destiel even before I started to watch, but now I have a friggin’ armada. I ship almost everything.
I also owe my “longest time of crying over the death of a fictional character” record to SPN. I cried for hours after Torn and Frayed and randomly burst into tears for the following few days a lot.
Now my life is mostly RPing (my two mains are Michael and Crowley), reading meta, crying over SPN, writing /reading fics and being on Tumblr all night. I also dress like a hunter most of the time and neglect my poor Loli wardrobe. And I know how to kill everything and how to make deals.
SPN is the best fandom for me because I’m always looking for angst, gay, character deaths and pain. Besides operas, this is the best place to find it.
And then you can have SuperWholock or SuperOmens. Actually SuperThrones should be a thing too. And how about a Discworld crossover? Imagine if the two versions of Death met, or the boys ran into the Lancre witches or the Night Watch?
I’ve written this before on Saumya “Happy Place” thread but it bears repeating because this show means so much to me too. There’s nothing worse than feeling adrift and empty like there’s nothing special to look forward to except the daily grind of day to day life. I always felt my best and my happiest when I was creating-I discovered rather late in my life that I loved to draw. I loved sharing what I had accomplished with other artists on line and I felt connected and fulfilled. All that disappeared a number of years back along with my motivation and inspiration. Nothing seemed to lure me back in. Until, one day last year, my daughter got me to watch Supernatural. Her adamant enthusiasm for the show pique my interest. I had actually seen the pilot and a few of the episodes and remember liking them but somehow never continued watching on a regular basis (probably because I have a spouse who eye-rolls at these sort of shows and makes it difficult to just simply enjoy anything). Well, 7 dvds later and I was totally hooked. The first thing I did was go on line to find a SPN group and found WFB. I immediately felt at home. Here were intelligent, thoughtful, funny, kindred spirits. They all understood and got what I got from the show! And the insight!- I learned so much from you all! I also learned about the actors, directors, creators, writers, etc. and what goes into making this such a unique show. It just made me love it all the more. And with that love came the desire to create again. I finally had the inspiration I was missing and it was all due to Supernatural. I will be forever grateful!
I was thinking this is such a wonderful thread that wouldn’t it be great if someone could make a compilation of all the posts and send it to J2 and TPTB at SPN to let them know how much they are appreciated and what a difference they have made in our lives? I’d be willing to contribute some art! 😆
I have never been able to make my family understand my love of this show. Possibly because of my near worship of the uniquely exquisite man that is Jensen Ackles. Who’s face alone is a gift from Heaven; but along with his talent & the fact that he is a good MAN (of which the world is sorely lacking these days sadly) he genuinely takes my breath away. So it is easy for people to assume that is the only reason I watch. And for most shows, that would be enough reason to just “watch”. I could never get that lump in my throat in certain scenes if I just “watched”. Could never wait, holding my breath for the next episode, or scene if I just “watched”. Dean could never make me cry if I just “watched”. Wouldn’t feel like Sam and Dean are so very real, if I just “watched”.
My oldest (Bobby, 30) reminded me that I have been a fan of shows before. X Files, Charmed, Highlander being the worst (come on-swords fights, beheadings. what’s not to like!). He wonders what is different this time. He doesn’t get it. My other son (Tommy, 28) & his fiance, didn’t get it either. Until their furnace broke last year and they had to come stay with me. She found me watching my fav DVR’d episodes early one morning before everyone had gotten up. I told her that was my time to watch and unless she was going to watch with me-leave. She settled down beside me one tyhe couch. With a groan, she says “THAT” show again. I’ll be ok. Probably go back to sleep.” By the 3rd one, she was hooked. It goes off and she’s like, “They can’t end it like that. What’s going to happen to Sam. What is Dean gonna do? OH< GOD, Dean is, DAMN!!. This is what you have been watching?" She scheduled her day off for Wednesday, by the way! MY son now calls with questions and comments after every episode. And to moan if there isn't one!! As of today I have 9 converts. Some are other dialysis patients. They come in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and see me watching. Never tiring of watching the episdoes over;and over; and over again. I really mean it when I say this show is the sunshine of my life. It gets me through every treatment. Every time I start to feel sorry for myself. Or wish things were different. When I’m feeling bored or lonely. If I need to laugh; or cry, I can turn it on. If I just want to get lost for an hour, I turn it on. And yes, if I want to just admire how insanely, breathtakingly, amazingly STUNNING Jensen is, I turn it on then to!! It is soooo much more that “just a show” to me….
Since I have already written an article on this topic I don’t have much to add except that thank you Alice, Ardeospina, Sweetondean and everybody who is responsible for creating such an awesome fansite where we can discuss SPN like crazy peole, can dwell on the episodes and can be completely nuts because of our love for the show.. So, THANK YOU..!! 🙂
Thanks to the show I get uplifting moments a few times during the day. The radio station at work and the one at home do that for me quite frequently. Everytime I hear a song that has been on Supernatural I get a smile on my face.
And like other said before the fandom is just amazing. There is always someone there for you if you need it. (I thank you Alice for the c-box too).
And then I had that special moment after Jared announced that they don’t want gifts for their coming baby but they would like people to donate to a charity. That is when I somehow got a midlife crisis it seems. Realizing that the people on my beloved show constantly do something good I was wondering what my live would be worth once I am gone. What do I have to give to the world. That got me thinking about my live and I realized that I am a special person. Born with a whole in the heart and various other heart problems I was one of the first kids here in Germany that had a heart operation. So I figured since I am still alive and actually healthy just like everybody else I thought I go and meet people with children that have the same severe heart problem and tell them that I am nearly 50 and still kicking. Because those parents hear way to often that kids with that kind of problem still die after their opertions. So I became their messanger of hope. And that felt real good. So thank you Jared for giving me that kick in the bud.
And last but definatly not least I got to met a special person I otherwise would have never met. Last summer Tim the Enchanter and I spent our vacation together and we will do that again coming July.
Thanks for starting this Amy, it’s so nice to read about the impact SPN has on people’s lives. I can’t say it’s changed my life per se, but it makes me so doggone happy! 😀 I’ve been watching since the very beginning, but not obsessing over it [u]too much[/u] until season 3. And then when Amazon had season’s 1 through 4 on their site for something that I could afford, I jumped on the occasion, and I’ve been watching and rewatching ever since.
The place I work at recently unionized and I was voted as union rep, been working non-stop for the past month on hammering out a collective agreement. The bosses ain’t happy about it and are making everybody involved feel like total crap. This is where SPN comes in for me. I’m seeing the whole situation as my big bad of the season that I need to fight to save the people under my “protection”. And because I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to read as much from this site as I usually do, or even watch my favourite show. I feel like a drug addict that went cold turkey! So, thank God the show is back tonight, and the union business is slowing a little bit, because this is going to be a SPN weekend for me. 8)
I’m seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not hellfire! 😆
SPN is the reason I met my future husband. He was a good friend of a girl I met at a Con. We would never have met but for this show!
Wow! Reading that made me so emotional and thankful that this site is here. 😆 I truly love logging into the site several times a week and can’t get enough of the great articles. I felt guilty the past few weeks because I have been out of town and out of touch with the website. After reading this though I realize how much I am so happy to be a part of this family (even if only in the periphery). Many comments, thoughts, and reasons the “team” wrote about how SPN changed their lives really resonated in me. I am a closet geek sometimes and it’s nice to know others have been as well. 😉 I want to go to DallasCon in September (I live in Fort Worth after all), but am scared to go by myself. :sigh: My husband thinks I am a crazy fan sometimes and this doesn’t help my fears, but reading what is written here does. I hope one day to conquer my fear before it is too late and to get “out of the closet” with my SPN love. Thanks for writing this article and know it touches many as do all the articles written on this site. 🙂
krystal, you are never by yourself at a con! There are plenty of people going from hre, including me and several other WFB members. Head over to our Con page and see who else will be there!
Hope to see you there! 🙂
[url]https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/news/90/17658-the-con-page.html[/url]
Thanks Amy! I have hinted to my husband that I would like a ticket for my birthday this month. If I get one I’ll let you know for sure as I’d really like to meet you in person!