I’m a little late to this but I saw this lovely chain of stories started by the lovelier @jacksoopticboop and I wanted to join in. (This is gonna be a long one, because I don’t know how to stop talking so buckle up kiddos)
So, I don’t make it any secret that I am exceedingly new to the community. I saw gifs of Jack on tumblr and heard my best friend talking about him for years but only started watching in late October to November of last year but let me just say it was most definitely my saving grace.
The tail end of last year was hard on me. I had been living with my parents in an incredibly toxic household for most of the year and it showed in my mental state. By October we had our own place but I was the only one in it a lot. To fill the silence I started watching Jack’s playthroughs of Undertale and Night in the Woods.
My best friend had been a long time Jack fan and was so excited that I had jumped into her pool. She started to suggest vids and playlists. Things I needed to see to understand the fandom fires. Things I might just enjoy watching. We began to bond a lot over Jack and the community and since he was uploading every day there was always something new to talk about!
Then November hit. I should mention that up to this point I was working a job that didn’t pay enough and didn’t give many hours. So I started a second. During the holiday rush. Some days my schedule would be getting off at midnight to go back in to work at 3 or 4 AM. During this time there was also a lot 9f personal strife going on and looking back I realize how terribly close I actually was so suicide. I was in that bad of a place.
But, when I came home to an empty apartment late at night (my fiance at this point was working nights so I didnt see him much), there was always something new on Jack’s channel to watch and I could always snuggle up and watch Jack play for a little while.
I don’t know where exactly, but somewhere along the line Jack started to feel like a friend. Which, considering how my best friend and I bonded over his videos, was fantastic! Through his videos I found a new friend and a common link with an old friend.
Looking back those two ties, that company I found in both my best friend and Seán… I cannot say how much that helped me. Words are not enough.
In April the the same best friend and I went to see the show in DC, and I can honestly say it was one of if not the best day of my life. For so many reasons. Not the least of which being that I got to meet Jack out in the world, but also for what it meant to both my best friend and I to have that expirence together.
Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, Jack. You’ve done so much for me and so many others and you continue to do so every day. Just… thank you.
