A thank you to the community
**Disclaimer long, and community related**
Hello! My name's Jake Meadors, commonly referred to as Suave - a'la Reddit username. Today's my 21st birthday and thus I figure this time is as good as any to make this post! To those who have been long time users of this sub they may recognize my username, however fret not if not as this is Thank you isn't targeted at any specific audience, but rather the entirety of the community.
I started browsing/posting on this sub about April 2016, just a few weeks after initially watching the movie on release day back last March, and I've loved every moment of the fact. Some of the people ensnared by this fine-furred gift from Rich & Byron are just absolutely amazing, whether it be one of the many fan fic writers, fan artists, or just people who are just incredibly pleasant to talk with.
Prior to my involvement with this community, I was a below average college student who had no real aspirations nor direction to where he was going, nor what he would be doing. The mantra *Try everything* definitely started to get stuck in my head, but hearing stories and interacting with people from this sub during my time on this sub continued inspiring me more and more. Another sub-par term of college later I made my first long term decision I've ever made, I enlisted with the US Navy.
157 Days later after I initially departed for Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes Illinois, It's still early to be saying for sure, and despite the lows that came as a result, I am grateful for the inspiration that pushed me into making this decision, as it's turning out to be one of the best I've made thus far.
I've had the privilege to experience things I would never have had the chance to partake in otherwise. Fighting fires, being subject to Tear Gas willingly, working in the dark while being pummeled with ice cold water and moving close to 100 rounds of mock-ammo that weigh about 100lb each(and I expect to be doing it again, except more pipes and ice cold water, less ammo!), being on-board a submarine for the first time and attending homecomings for two others as well. USS California and Pittsburgh... and my journey isn't even close to over yet!
So here I am, thanking you, all of you, for helping me make a decision I don't honestly think I would've ever had made otherwise. **I want to specifically thank everyone whose participated in Cards Against Zootopia**, whether it be a one-time showing, or if you were a long time participant, for providing some of the fondest of my memories over the last six months.
Thefonz46, Leporidae97, Ikmalmn, Kittah4, LittleMenance, ApileofDisposables, hmm9002, NYSTLSportsfan, notgonnahappen, zhanmtz, DrEggnik, Lucminax, Kyokitsune and plenty more whose names have been lost in translation, another thanks to all of you for making CaZ as enjoyable as it was back when we still regularly ran them and to Ouisha for even beginning my voyage with CaZ. I love all of you to frickin' death for all the good, the bad, *and the fluffy* and wouldn't trade the last few months of knowing you guys for anything else.
To conclude this, one last time. **Thank you, Thank all of you.**