in 2009, i met @MettaWorld37 on this app. we come from entirely different worlds, but had so much in common. it led to a series of very public interactions that were equal parts hilarious, stupid, & wholesome.

like this one video that will follow me everywhere i go.

what people didn’t see was how we went through our mental healthy journeys together $ how he supported me & my family during difficult times. some see him for malice at the palace, but he is genuinely one of the kindest people i’ve ever met.

i credit him for helping me come to terms with the fact that it’s okay to talk about our mental health struggles. he even went on live television after winning the championship to thank his therapist. what a legend.

anyway, @MettaWorld37 has become a huge part of my family & i’ve always wanted to share this side of him with my friends & peers, so in 2016, right before graduation, i fought tooth & nail to host a mental health discussion at LMU.

the school pushed back saying it would cost too much money & that no one would show up. i kept pushing & finally got approval. hundreds of people showed up to a room for 40 & we had a wonderful discussion that i’ll never ever forget. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥺" title="Pleading face" aria-label="Emoji: Pleading face">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💖" title="Funkelndes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Funkelndes Herz">

this was 5 years ago today.

there are so many typos here. i give up. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit Freudentränen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Freudentränen">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit Freudentränen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Freudentränen">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😂" title="Gesicht mit Freudentränen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Freudentränen">

it makes me emotional when i think about how we grew up together. i had just recovered from an attempted suicide on the left. he heard i was getting an award & still sweaty, sped down from practice to support me. on the right, i had just watched his mental health doc. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥲" title="Smiling face with tear" aria-label="Emoji: Smiling face with tear">

anyway, here’s a video of me watching him climb a fence to get to our parking when i probably could’ve just opened it HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA