An Anthropomorphic Hedgehog's Birthday

Running at the speed of sound might be the most dangerous thing anybody can try to do. For many people who think about attempting a run like that, they imagine themselves alone and running down a flat, empty road. What does Sonic the Hedgehog imagine when he runs at those speeds? He wants deadly machines built by a maniac, bridges on the verge of collapsing, platforms galore, golden rotating rings that may or may not have any value... In other words, a daring and adventurous run. One of the great mysterious of the world is explaining how a hedgehog of all creatures can run at such speeds. some claim it's his shoes while others believe it's a god-given talent. Rather than wonder, Sonic just keeps running, and as of today, he's been running for the past twenty years, and will keep going for...who knows how long. It's funny when people ask me if I still love that running guy, although I'm also grateful to be living in a world where people are more tolerant towards others in their hobbies. It's painful to realize that thirty years ago, a young John Lasseter was tormented constantly for loving cartoons. The second decade of Sonic's career has been a difficult one as being his fan is becoming a nostalgic obligation instead of a whole-hearted commitment. Discovering the internet the first time, I realized how despised Sonic was in many forums and websites, and how the announcement of Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a popular fighting game, was only exciting since it gave haters a chance to utterly destroy Sonic with the game's many weapons, but as someone who is an unabashed fanatic of the blue blur, I couldn't understand how anybody could hate him. I wasn't thinking about the corporation's mascot, or the guy who was in that shitty unplayable game, or the 90's symbol who was becoming an utter dissapointment. I think of him as an incredible character who's bursting with energy and neverending excitement. That's the way I've thought of him since I was three years old playing his game on the Sega Genesis, and that's how I'll continue to think of him throughout the rest of my life. Happy birthday, you chili-dog eating fiend! A cake is waiting for you on my dining room table.