First of all, I just wanted to thank everyone who posted in this thread for the warm greetings.
Basically, I've always felt an attachment to (what I would later recognize as) ABDL culture in some way from a rather young age. Around the age of 5, I started feeling strange around diapers or anything that resembled them. My face would flush slightly and I would fall completely silent. In a way, that feeling still holds today, to the point where it's extraordinarily difficult for me to even say the word "diaper" in any context, which isn't that terrible, considering it doesn't normally pop up in conversations.
At about age 15, I first discovered ABDL-linked websites, and found myself interested in learning more about the culture. Since then, over the last 6 years, I have had a sortof love/hate, on-and-off relationship with ABDL. But that's probably because I focused more about how it applies to me, rather than how it applies to people, in general. So, my focus switched from my own thoughts, which are still confused and hard to pin down, to those of others.
I've always loved collecting and analyzing opinions; it's only been within the last few months that I've looked at ABDL in this angle. Why are people interested in ABDL, how do they believe their interest was first sparked, and how long have they felt as they do about it? Do most people see it as a culture, or more of a loose group of people with a similar interest in mind or at heart? Is the attraction more physical, mental, emotional, or equally all of the above?
All of these questions have been on my mind, among others.
Personally, I would probably be considered more of a DL than an AB, but, above all, I'm more interested in observing and learning than taking part in age play or role play, neither of which particularly appeals to me, although to say there is absolutely no emotional attachment there would be false.
I hope that answers everyone's questions. If I still haven't made myself clear, though, I'm always willing to further clarify.
Thanks again for the warm welcome!