Tara Strong is best pony! (full story)
I had planned on attending the Knoxville Anime Con with my son and brother to see Tara Strong. All three of us are huge MLP fans.
When Tara Strong canceled her appearance, like everyone else, I was extremely disappointed. Even more so for my son Dragon than myself. I'd told him we were going and we'd try to have her sign his Twilight Sparkle, and he was beside himself with excitement.
When she canceled, I made a comment on the post saying I didn't know how I was going to break it to my disabled son that he wasn't going to get to see her. I had no idea Tara was reading this page. NONE.
The next thing I know, when I commented on a different post, she replied directly to me asking what my son's name is and what is his favorite show. I was stunned, and I called him over to the computer to tell him that “Twilight” was asking about him. I told her a little bit about him, and added a little message from him because he asked me to tell her thank you for offering to sign items for people, and that he loves her and Twilight Sparkle. She wrote back telling him hello and that she would be happy to send him a little something extra. I thought that was the end of it, after all, that's EXTREMELY kind and generous of her, and even more than anyone could expect.
THEN I got a friends notice, saying that Tara Strong wanted to be MY friend on Facebook. (cue fangirl fainting) After I accepted, she sent me a message asking if she could call my son and say hi in his favorite voice.
Honestly, by then I was half suspecting it was a hoax. We're just an ordinary family, living paycheck to paycheck. Things like this just don't happen to people like us. But I wrote back, saying that would be great, and she promised to call the next day.
The next day, no call. I stayed up until midnight, then I messaged her saying that I was really really sorry, but that I had work early the next morning and had to go to bed, that I was sorry to miss the call, but it was the thought that counted.
She wrote back to tell me that she had forgotten about the time difference, apologized, and asked me to give her a time and she WOULD call the next day. She didn't break that promise. She not only called, she called BACK after Dragon got overexcited and accidentally hung up on her! “Did you just hang up on TARA STRONG, Dragon?” (My new favorite Tara Strong quote! LOL)
She talked to him for about 20 minutes in all, and did every voice he asked her to do, talked a little to him about how to deal with bullies at school, and assured him that there is going to be a season 3 of My Little Pony. She said she couldn't tell him about the shows, but that it was going to be “really really cute,” and that there will be “one show at least that he would LOVE.” She also told him about upcoming Ben10 episodes, gave him some “inside info.” :) She said for him to look at it this way, that if he'd met her at the con, he couldn't have talked to her this long. Which is very very true.
This woman has one of the kindest hearts in the world. She really went above and beyond to make a mentally challenged child happy. She talked to him like she was really delighted to be having a conversation with him, and his smile just lit up the whole house. As for Dragon, he talked to her like she was an old friend, the same way he does to everyone else. He never meets a stranger.
I may be biased, but I think he deserves the happiness this has brought him. He deals with bullies in school, he's picked on daily, he's been threatened, had obscene pictures drawn on the back of his shirt, had tobacco juice spit into his backpack, been tricked into asking another boy a sexual question he didn't understand, and yet he still has a smile and hug for the people he loves, and he wants to be friends with everyone. It hurts him so much when someone doesn't like him. Now, he knows this was just a one-time thing, but he can always say to himself, "Someone as cool as Tara Strong likes me, so there CAN'T be much wrong with me."
Tara: Is this Dragon?
Dragon: ...yes.
Tara: Do you know who this is?
Dragon: Yes, it's Twilight Sparkle.
Dragon: Tara, you are so talented with all those voices you do.
Tara: Yes, yes I am, aren't I?
Tara: (in Twilight's voice) I love you, Dragon.
Dragon: (stunned, muttering) ...love you, too, Twilight.
Tara: Dear Princess Celestia, today I got to talk to an awesome person named Dragon.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Tara and Dragon: Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!
Tara: (in Raven's voice) Dragon, if anyone bothers you about liking My Little Pony, I'll kick their butts.
THAT'S the kind of people who are working on MLP;FiM. If anyone ever says they're only in it for the money, that they don't care about the fans, don't believe them.
When Tara Strong canceled her appearance, like everyone else, I was extremely disappointed. Even more so for my son Dragon than myself. I'd told him we were going and we'd try to have her sign his Twilight Sparkle, and he was beside himself with excitement.
When she canceled, I made a comment on the post saying I didn't know how I was going to break it to my disabled son that he wasn't going to get to see her. I had no idea Tara was reading this page. NONE.
The next thing I know, when I commented on a different post, she replied directly to me asking what my son's name is and what is his favorite show. I was stunned, and I called him over to the computer to tell him that “Twilight” was asking about him. I told her a little bit about him, and added a little message from him because he asked me to tell her thank you for offering to sign items for people, and that he loves her and Twilight Sparkle. She wrote back telling him hello and that she would be happy to send him a little something extra. I thought that was the end of it, after all, that's EXTREMELY kind and generous of her, and even more than anyone could expect.
THEN I got a friends notice, saying that Tara Strong wanted to be MY friend on Facebook. (cue fangirl fainting) After I accepted, she sent me a message asking if she could call my son and say hi in his favorite voice.
Honestly, by then I was half suspecting it was a hoax. We're just an ordinary family, living paycheck to paycheck. Things like this just don't happen to people like us. But I wrote back, saying that would be great, and she promised to call the next day.
The next day, no call. I stayed up until midnight, then I messaged her saying that I was really really sorry, but that I had work early the next morning and had to go to bed, that I was sorry to miss the call, but it was the thought that counted.
She wrote back to tell me that she had forgotten about the time difference, apologized, and asked me to give her a time and she WOULD call the next day. She didn't break that promise. She not only called, she called BACK after Dragon got overexcited and accidentally hung up on her! “Did you just hang up on TARA STRONG, Dragon?” (My new favorite Tara Strong quote! LOL)
She talked to him for about 20 minutes in all, and did every voice he asked her to do, talked a little to him about how to deal with bullies at school, and assured him that there is going to be a season 3 of My Little Pony. She said she couldn't tell him about the shows, but that it was going to be “really really cute,” and that there will be “one show at least that he would LOVE.” She also told him about upcoming Ben10 episodes, gave him some “inside info.” :) She said for him to look at it this way, that if he'd met her at the con, he couldn't have talked to her this long. Which is very very true.
This woman has one of the kindest hearts in the world. She really went above and beyond to make a mentally challenged child happy. She talked to him like she was really delighted to be having a conversation with him, and his smile just lit up the whole house. As for Dragon, he talked to her like she was an old friend, the same way he does to everyone else. He never meets a stranger.
I may be biased, but I think he deserves the happiness this has brought him. He deals with bullies in school, he's picked on daily, he's been threatened, had obscene pictures drawn on the back of his shirt, had tobacco juice spit into his backpack, been tricked into asking another boy a sexual question he didn't understand, and yet he still has a smile and hug for the people he loves, and he wants to be friends with everyone. It hurts him so much when someone doesn't like him. Now, he knows this was just a one-time thing, but he can always say to himself, "Someone as cool as Tara Strong likes me, so there CAN'T be much wrong with me."
Tara: Is this Dragon?
Dragon: ...yes.
Tara: Do you know who this is?
Dragon: Yes, it's Twilight Sparkle.
Dragon: Tara, you are so talented with all those voices you do.
Tara: Yes, yes I am, aren't I?
Tara: (in Twilight's voice) I love you, Dragon.
Dragon: (stunned, muttering) ...love you, too, Twilight.
Tara: Dear Princess Celestia, today I got to talk to an awesome person named Dragon.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Tara and Dragon: Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!
Tara: (in Raven's voice) Dragon, if anyone bothers you about liking My Little Pony, I'll kick their butts.
THAT'S the kind of people who are working on MLP;FiM. If anyone ever says they're only in it for the money, that they don't care about the fans, don't believe them.
