A lighter conversation

The world is pretty screwed up right now and I've had a low couple of days, so I want to turn to a lighter note for this entry

First off, a thank you to everyone who commented on the A Time to Talk entry.  Hearing from all of you was very interesting and heart warming

I noticed a bit of a theme in the responses, art as coping, be it someone else's art (music, movies, books, etc) or diving into making your own.  It got me thinking about media and the importance of being able to relate to what we see/read/watch/hear.  So I was wondering: who is the first character in a book/show/movie/play/etc that you felt able to relate to?  That you went "someone out there has created something that speaks to me and my experiences".  What was the first song that made you feel that way?

For me it was probably Rogue from X-Men Evolution to a certain degree; the idea of wanting to be close to people and feeling unable was very strong.  I got into reading the Mystique comics the same year (age 12-13 gave me some long lasting fandoms) and I found Mystique clicked with me even more than Rogue had.  She could be anyone, look any way and still feel trapped in her own body, trapped by other people's expectations.  At the end of the day, Mystique could be anyone or anything on the surface but she still had to live with herself, something she had trouble doing despite her confidence, despite a nonchalant attitude.  The theme of belonging and self acceptance really struck me hard and still resonates with me.  It was a comfort to see that someone understood those feelings enough to create a character that portrayed them in such a real way.  And it was inspiring to see this character still remain strong in her convictions despite those personal demons


I'm not sure I can pinpoint a single song that made me go "that, that there is what I've felt" but there have been any number over the years that captivated me with a line or a verse that seemed right.  Evanescence's My Last Breath in my preteen/early teen years, Imagine at various points, Higher Than Hope by Nightwish during highschool, Farewell and Soul Society by Kamelot as well during highschool, Don't You Cry/Ne Pleure Pas by Kamelot now, the list goes on.    

I'd love to hear from anyone that reads this