Dear @aphmau
It’s currently 3 AM. I just spent two full weeks of doing nothing but binge watching all of MCD AND MyStreet. My heart hurts. I’m feeling stupid nostalgic. And I haven’t cried as hard as I am crying in a hot minute.
Thank you, Jess. Thank you for being such an impactful part of my life. You’ve inspired me in more ways than one.
I’ve been a fan of your channel since I was 11, when for some odd reason a video about a woman playing this video game I kinda liked popped up in my recomended. Her kitty litter box exploded. I remember.
At the time I was so young and confused, I didn’t even think that subscribtions to channels were free, so every day after school I would rush to my family’s computer and refresh your page until the new episode came out.
I remember losing my shit when we heard the voices of these characters you created for the first time. I remember sobbing my brains out when Aaron died. I remember being so emotionally confused when the time jump happened. I remember wanting to kill Zane myself. I remember being so excited to see what you would do next.
After a while I... distanced myself. Part of me could tell that you were feeling the same way about the series, but the other part of me was just growing up and moving on. But I still showed my support.
I no longer watched it, but for my birthday I wanted an MCD poster SO badly. We were moving houses, and I wanted my blank walls to not feel so blank anymore. When I opened it on my birthday, all of the other boys scoffed at me. Minecraft was lame. And Minecraft roleplays were lamer.
I followed the trends of the Internet, and found myself becoming lost after quite some time. I wandered amongst bad skits and funny cat videos. But I always gravitated towards storytellers. No matter how far I drifted away, I always found myself coming back to your content.
I’d pop in every so often to watch mini games, and I showed tons of support to all of the VAs and their channels. As a growing actor, I know that even the slightest bit of support can mean the world.
But nothing really grabbed my attention until the thumbnail for “When Angels Fall.” I recognized that character. It was Irene, and I knew it. I rushed to it, but quickly realized I had no clue what was going on.
I backtracked. I couldn’t watch everything, but I watched what the fanwiki deemed as “important” and got caught up. I turned notifications on, so every time the series got updated I knew about it.
I don’t know how, but you and your team managed to bring me back to those times I remember. Those times before worrying about college and my upcoming reality that will settle in shortly after high school ends.
I am 16 years old now. And since Minecraft has once again blossomed in popularity, I can tell you I was enthusiastic to spend my summer free time rewatching Diaries and the entirety of the MyStreet series (PDH and FCU included). Not only that, but the day after I began rewatching it, the first episode of the revival was put out. It is beyond impressive that you and your wonderful team have come this far, and you should be so proud of the work you’ve done.
I just spent two weeks rewatching EVERYTHING. And I mean no sleep, no productivity levels of binging. I can confidently tell you that I wouldn’t want my summer to go any other way.
You’ve done something that a lot of people take for granted. You’ve taken something from YEARS ago... something that wasn’t meant to ever become anything... and turned it into a work of art. You’ve managed to create something that is authentically yours in every way, and I admire every bit of that.
Not only that, but you are ADDING to it!! You are creating new worlds!! You are putting more into this simple game about blocks than most put into their own lives!!!
I want to do what you do, Jess. I want to be a part of something that makes people feel the way your content makes me feel. I want to make them feel.
So as I sit in my room at 3:45 AM, tears streaming down my face, my Woof plush in arms, I’ll never be able to thank you enough. I’ll never be able to repay you for what you’ve inspired me to do. I don’t know how I’m gonna do it yet, but I’m going to find a way to create.
I edit videos for all of my friends who try to be “YouTube famous” to get practice in premiere. I draw digitally three times every week so I can improve. I act in my high school theatre program. I’m writing two full length novels. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it wasn’t for you. These aren’t just my hobbies. These are my passions.
Thank you so much for helping me find them.
With much love,
Sawyer Reid
