It’s kind of insane when you think about the meaning of Josh’s name in the context of Tyler’s life. Tyler spent most of his teenage years feeling lost, alone, and desperately searching for purpose and salvation, and then he meets a guy whose name literally means that. And from that point on, they basically become everything to each other.
They had an instant connection, almost like they were just waiting to find each other. When you connect with someone you just met to the point where you barely know each other and yet you end up talking alone together the entire night because the conversation flows that naturally? That’s the kind of thing people write soulmate stories about (and I don’t even believe in soulmates.) Josh was originally friends with the band’s drummer, and Tyler was literally living with that drummer at the time. Yet the drummer went to bed early, and instead of Josh going home, he stayed up talking with Tyler until seven in the morning. You don’t hear stories like that every day. That’s straight out of a romantic comedy movie. The fact that they didn’t end up married is honestly tragic because they genuinely seem like two people who were made for each other.
And you can see it in the band too. Their creative chemistry is so strong that Tyler comes up with an idea and Josh almost always seems completely on board. It’s not like they’re constantly pulling in different directions or talking about wanting to explore separate artistic paths. No, they’ve stayed solid for fifteen years because the connection between them seems almost unreal. Most bands eventually break up, take long hiatuses, stop releasing music for years, pursue solo careers, or move on to completely different things. But they always seemed to want it to be just the two of them. Even when Nick left, they didn’t go looking for a replacement. They just kept going as a duo.
It’s not even noon where I am and I’ve already ruined my day by overthinking Joshler again, so I figured I’d share these thoughts too. 😂 But seriously, the meaning of Josh’s name in the context of Tyler’s story is absolutely wild. It sounds like something straight out of fanfiction
They’re perfect for each other in every way. Even in the sense that Josh never seems to get tired of Tyler or the way he is. Tyler can be emotionally turbulent and difficult to keep up with at times, especially because of his mental health, yet Josh always seems to know exactly how to handle him.
More than that, he seems genuinely content just being around him. No matter how intense, complicated, or chaotic things get, Josh always appears to gravitate back toward Tyler rather than away from him. He doesn’t seem interested in changing him or creating distance—he just wants to stay close to him and love him, which is very much in line with the way he describes their relationship in Tally.
joshler makes me believe in like. actual real soulmates tbh. bc that's what they are. there's just no other word for it. genuinely some shit right out of a romance novel
