Author's Note: Names have been changed to protect my identity.
"Y-ville?"
Hannah nodded, sweeping her blonde hair dramatically to the side. "Yep, y-ville, it's so cool. Everyone has an account, you should join too!"
I raised my eyebrows. "Everyone?"
She nodded once more. "It's okay, at Beca's sleepover this Friday I'll make you an account. I'll help you buy clothes and everything."
I blinked. She lost me after "Beca's sleepover." "That's fine," I said, pretending to concentrate on the board. "I-I'll get one myself. Tonight. You can help me figure out all the bugs later."
Later that night I sat at the keyboard, drumming my fingers on the desk. "Y-ville," I thought out loud. "The coolest thing ever . . . yeah right."
That night was May 9, 2005. I brought up Google, trying to decide whether I should keep my word or not. I hated fitting in, it just wasn't me. But Hannah told me on the bus it was alright, everything was safe. And besides, who wouldn't want to be apart of the website that the whole fourth grade was signing up for?
So, I did. My hands stretched across the keyboard, slowly typing the simple words I will laugh at for the rest of my life.
"yville"
Oh, I thought, staring at the screen. WHYville . . . that makes a whole lot more sense.
This was only the beginning of an incredible journey. I think it officially started, however, when I chose my username. Since there was obviously someone with the username "Grace," that was out of the picture. Frustrated at the lack of creativity I had for a username, I began to mash my fist on the keyboard.
Hey, msof57. Not bad, I'll keep it.
So there I was, a potato head on Whyville. Yep, I was here before the bluebies. I soon found Grandma's on the search bar but learned it was "uncool" to wear Grandma's parts. So I waited until Friday where Hannah gave me a total makeover.
After school was out, I was a complete Whyville addict. I spent my time at the Beach, Trading Post, and eventually spent hours chatting with the cat and dog clans in the WhyHouse. Sure, that was where I was bullied and earned the name "Noob." Some of the name calling brought me to tears, but I eventually made friends with another "Newblet" who was bullied just as much as me. He, she, I can never remember which one, was my first Whyville friend. Frosty25, the "27 year-old man." The "creep", the "stalker", the nicest person I have ever met in my whole four years of Whyvilling.
Of course, there were other friends. Like the time my sister and I spotted dead2u2 on the moon and was officially nicknamed "Charlie." You couldn't exactly calling it a relationship, considering it was the only time we ever saw each other, but I've always remembered him. Then I went through the y-dating phase, where I went out with every boy I could find. (I think that's when I learned how "Newbish" I was and started developing into my Oldbie stage.) Then there was the time in 2006 when I quit for about six months because everyone I knew in real life claimed Whyville to be so "ewy."
I came back, because Whyville, you hold too many memories.
I got to see the North Beach added, scions introduced, the icky red stuff that polluted Whyville's waters forever. I remember Stacie Orrico's concert and the day when my other account, 00mom88, was stolen from me because of my attempt at cheating another Whyvillian for clams by giving them my account. I remember Dirty Little Secret, hand for rock fans (or something along the lines of that), Elmo, and the days where everyone had a HIP TO BE COOL by snugabug.
Sadly, it wasn't until about my third year of Whyville did my Times career take off. Slowly, my online chatting faded, my clams began piling up because I never spent them on anything anymore, and I eventually stopped trying to keep up with the latest fashions.
Whyville helped me realize, that just being me is okay. I don't have to wear all of MagicBox's clothes or be a cat to be accepted. Maybe not everyone, but most people like me because of what I write or what I say. My dream was to become famous on this website, so that I could waltz into a chatroom and people would know my name. What really shocks me, is that it's coming true! I've made so many new friends through my writing and constant (maybe even annoying) posting in the BBS. I've had many falls, some even ruining my reputation on here. I've lost my temper many times, but somehow, I always manage to pull through.
Whyville, overall, you've made me a stronger person.
I've only been here about four out of ten amazing years, but I can definitely say that I'm never going to forget you "yville."
-msof57
"Grandma, Grandma!" they're going to say, bouncing in my lap. "What did you do when you were a kid? Tell me, tell me!"
"Well," I'll respond. "Let me tell you about this little place called Whyville. I think this is where my writing really took off . . ."
