StarFest 2014 - Day Three Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt

So we have come to the end, once again.  In fact, this is an article I didn't want to write today.  I sat here, staring at the screen after spending an extra hour or two after I needed to at StarFest for good reason, I don't like it when cons end and this one was special so writing this particular recap is painful in many ways.   

Now I say special, because the last two years at this convention have been eye opening to me.  You worry about all the little stuff at conventions and see good friends but there is something so much more, so much joy that a convention brings to all of us.  I've talked before about how important camaraderie is at StarFest, how awesome it is to see old friends and make new ones and that's important.  But I also came to realize what StarFest means to each of us on an individual level.  

See I noticed something this weekend I never have before and it's dumb on me for not seeing it sooner.  I've noticed the joy before but this year, as I shot video and pictures, I noticed the difference in the smiles.  Our smiles are quite telling as to how happy we really are.  There are smiles we put on as we need to, and then there are those genuine smiles, the ones that extend ear to ear and never leave your face.  

That's what I witnessed this weekend for the first time, smiles that went from ear to ear.  Smiles that damn near glowed as people stood in line for autographs from their favorite stars, or wandered the vendor room or sat around in the rooms or in the hallways and just chatted it up with people.  StarFest lifts every last one of us up, regardless of what is going on in our lives because it is the embodiment of what our favorite science fiction stories did for us in the first place, it inspires us.  

All the things we dislike about the world fade away once we step through the doors.  It's a world of respect, it's a world of equality, it's truly a utopia.  It's the world we all desire and yearn to live in and for three whole days, we are a part of it and that's just magical.  

It's an experience I like to think leaves with us as the weekend comes to a close.  That we smile that wide when we head back to work.  That we spread that joy to others every chance we get.  That we take the utopia out into the world.  Maybe we do for a day or two before the routine settles back in and that's okay.  Maybe for that fleeting instant we achieved the incredible feat we experienced at StarFest, that perfect world where everyone is your friend and malice is not welcome.  It's a shame that it's over, but at least I know it, and all of you will be there for me next year.     

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