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08/01/25
It’s a special day today. It’s Stay’s birthday! Stay is the name of the Stray Kids fandom. It’s my first time being around for it, as I started listening to them just around this time last year and didn’t even know Stay had a birthday.
A lot has happened in the year I finally started listening to them. Huge changes happened in my life. A lot of heart break, quitting a long time job, moving states, buying a new house, getting a new job! Through it all Stray Kids have been a constant source of positive energy and support for me. I know for a fact all of this would have been demonstrably harder if I didn’t have SKZ to turn to for comfort and encouragement. Between the general tone of their songs - succeeding even when everyone rejects you, how you can thrive if you don’t give up on yourself - and their videos like SKZ CODE, the travel logs, live streams, etc. i’ve had something to pump me up and laugh with as well as reminders to take care of myself.
Getting to see Stray Kids live with the friend who brought them in to my life was one of the best events I’ve ever attended. I made so many mini friendships throughout the day of the show in lines and exchanging freebies. And the show its self was incredible. We were very lucky that it wasn’t TOO hot out and the rain ended before show time. The stadium staff were helpful and getting to bathrooms/drinks/food was easy. Getting to be in the Pit and be so close was magical. These people I’d been listening to and watching for months were there, 50 feet away from me. I could wave to them and laugh with them. The show its self felt more like a collective party than a band here to play for an audience. Seeing them dance around, goof off and get treats from the vendors as they rode around the stadium filled my heart.
It’s common (and understandable) for folks to experience post concert depression after a big show like this. You’ve waited for months, and now its over. I’m grateful that for me instead this ended up being a massive recharge of my love of creating, of sharing art with people. Seeing how many people were there to share this moment in time with SKZ was a powerful reminder of how art touches people and gives them strength. I was in an afterglow of the show for weeks.
While I’ve definitely come back down to earth since then, I’m never letting go of my memories of that time, how I felt, and how it inspired me. I feel renewed in pushing forward at my own pace, as best as I can.
Thank you, Stray Kids, for existing. Thank you for everything you do and all your hard work. You are singular in your drive, in your creativity and your care. I’m grateful you’re a part of my life.
