Fandom isn't an easy thing sometimes. There's good ones and bad ones. But every once in awhile, there's a gem. For me, it was a fandom for the characters of Nathan and Maxie on General Hospital, or more commonly known as "Naxie."
I've watched General Hospital off and on my whole life. I loved and hated it. I still do. In the spring of 2014, I was watching the show as a casual fan when I discovered the characters of Nathan West and Maxie Jones. I fell in love almost instantly. They had a magic that I personally hadn't seen on soap operas in a long time. After awhile, I went in search of other like minded fans and discovered a welcoming nest of fans who felt the same way at a forum dedicated to the couple. Tentatively, I ventured in with my opinions and started to make friends. It was the best decision I ever made regarding a fandom.
In time, I grew close to group of women. We jokingly nicknamed ourselves, "The Paevey Pack," after the actor Ryan Paevey who played Nathan. We talked almost every day, we still do. Sure, most of our conversation was about Nathan and Maxie, but other times it was about just normal, every day life. I got to know them and even met a couple of them at a GH event. They all have similar stories to mine about how they came to the fandom. The important thing is that because of our shared love of this couple, we came together as friends. These women lifted me up in my own life. They give me support, confidence, and friendship without question.
In January of this year, the "Naxie" journey ended when Ryan left General Hospital. For me, it was the best fan experience I could have ever asked for. It remains the only fandom I've ever been involved in where there was no constant infighting or nastiness. Also, the actors, Ryan Paevey and Kirsten Storms, were always kind to their fans. I was able to meet Ryan once in person and spoke to him on the phone in an "interview." They say you shouldn't meet your idols, but meeting him was an experience I wouldn't trade for anything.
"Naxie" gave me something else too. I used to write short stories in my free time. I was too embarrassed to share them with anyone. Because of the women I met through the Naxie fandom, I was able to let go of that embarrassment and share some writing with them. After that, I "interviewed" Ryan Paevey and wrote a piece on him for a fansite. I even took the larger step of completing a novel and submitting it to a publisher for publication. And while it never really went anywhere, the feeling of accomplishment for having done so made it worthwhile.
I'll be in other fandoms in my life, I'm sure. But none of them will ever compare to the love I have for Naxie, Ryan Paevey, Kirsten Storms, and all of them women I've met because of Naxie.
