[Turns on her camera and sets it on the ledge of the window.]

Hey everyone! It’s Lynnie and I’m here for my last and final YouTube video! I know. I’m sad too. I really am. I’ve gotten so used to documenting my life and have been able to open up that it’s a sad day that this is all coming to an end. I don’t know. Don’t freak out though because I will hopefully… Sometime in the future make a new page and transfer all my music videos to that page. You know, for sentimental value. [Shrugs]

Anyways, I am currently at a recording studio, the one on campus. For the past four years this has been my home. My escape. If you know me well enough and can’t find me, you know that I am either here or at a dance studio. This is the environment that I thrive in, where I come alive. Other than when I'm with my husband and my daughter, or family and close friends, this is where I'm me. This is where I'm free to let everything out and create whatever is in my heart. This is where I can illustrate to you, how I feel and what's in my head. It's sort of like Vegas - what goes on in here, stays in here. And I'm sharing that with you so that, I hope when I talk about whatever I'm going to talk about right now, that you know that all my guards are down. This is what you're going to get. Plus I'm lazy and don't feel like editing anymore videos. This is it kids! After this video, no more. For now. And for a long time. 

Which brings me to this whole LSUTube experience. I honestly have loved it. I know that I've been busy and life just got in the way, that videos weren't as consistent as I would've liked them to be, but I tried. I've tried to let you guys in my life and honestly that was not much of a problem. I mean, what secrets are there to hide? I'm mostly an open book and I'm proud of who I am and have become along the way. The trips and all the amenities that came with them have created some unforgettable memories. This whole experience has forced me to record some things that I can always have now, that I'm very happy with. I get the chance to look back and remember how I felt about things and what happened, whereas I normally wouldn't because I would forget to take pictures or get a souvenir to remember this or that trip. I can just rewatch my videos and go through my camera and be like 'oh, cool.' You know? It's nice. So, thank you YouTube. You've given me a chance to remember the good times. 

Now, I that this whole opportunity is fading away, I can focus more on my future, which is... almost here! In May, I will be graduating with two degrees. One, I feel like I will be able to utilize more than the other, but who knows? Maybe I can! My journey these last few years haven't been all that smooth, but it's okay. At the end of it all - I'm still going to cross this finish line and get ready for the next race. I promise, you won't see the last of me, and what I can do. After graduation, my sweetie and I are going to move to LA. We haven't talked that much about it, but we'll figure something out. Either way, you know wherever I end up, as long as he's by my side, I will be okay. More than okay, really. Ideally, I would love to be producing the next big hits you hear on the radio, in five years. Hell, in the next year, but if not, I will be. I hope to be writing, producing, and who knows? I might even be performing my own stuff. 

Ultimately, in five years, I want to be that person who always has dreams and isn't afraid to accomplish them. I want to be accomplished and be someone that not only am I proud of, but my family would be proud of as well. If I'm not able to accomplish those big dreams of mine, I want to be able to look back and say that I did everything I could to achieve them. And I want to do all of that with my baby and my baby baby by my side. Of course, I would love my Tam Tam and even Greg's big head in my life too along with my brother and sisters. I also want to keep in touch with the friends I have made here at LSU. You know, keep those who have genuinely been there for me for as long as I possibly can because I know that without them, I wouldn't be here. Maybe, hopefully, when the time comes Xavier and I can expand our family, because God knows that there's a little one bouncing around wanting little brothers and sisters. I wouldn't mind some either. [She blushes and smiles.] Especially if they have his little dimples and are as smart and beautiful as their daddy. Just sayin'. [She giggles.] That's it! That's what I want for the upcoming years. If it doesn't happen exactly the way it plays out in my head, then that's okay. But I will never give up on chasing my dreams and what I want.

There you go kids. That's it for me. Thank you for this journey and I will see you sometime in the next one. Bye, for now.

Josie: [She holds the camera out vlogging style.] Hi, people! [She waves.] It’s the Josie show! Mama gonna wear dresses and I pick. You wanna see? See?

Josie: [She quickly pans the camera away from her and back to her face.] Did you see it people?

Lynnie: [Is heard giggling in the background.] Baby, you have to show them a little longer, not so fast.

Josie: [Frowns into the camera.] You didn’t see? I see. Mama pretty. [She show’s Lynnie.]

Lynnie:

[Smiles and waves to the camera.]

Josie: Mama getting married! She’s gonna be a princess! A booty-full princess!

Lynnie: [Laughs] Beautiful, Josie. Beautiful.

Josie: I said that, Mama.

Lynnie: [Chuckles and nods.] Okay then. [She takes a seat next to the toddler and scoops her into her lap, before adjusting Josie’s arms so that she’s in the frame.] So, hey, everyone. I’m currently here with this little baby –

Josie: [Looks up and back at Lynnie.] I not a baby, mama.

Lynnie: [Looks down at Josie.] You’re my baby. [She kisses the smiling little girl on the forehead and then back at the camera.] Anyways, here is at this cute little boutique that Grace brought us to, to well, shop for a vow renewal dress.

Josie: No! A wedding dress! Princess dress, Mama!

Lynnie: So, we decided to do this and have a little fashion show. Grace is currently talking to owner so, munchkin here has been picking out dresses left and right.

Josie: [Whines] Mama my arm tired. Here. [She hands the camera to Lynnie and runs off, giggling.]

Lynnie: [Holds out the camera and continues to vlog.] I should probably go and watch her right? [She looks around the small boutique, then shrugs.] She can’t do too much damage. I don’t think?

Grace: [Comes back from her chat with her friend and a giggling, wiggling Josie under her arm.] Okay! Now on to the fashion show! Chop! Chop!

Josie: [Squirms and claps her hands as she hangs upside down in Grace’s arms.] Chop! Chop, Mama!

Lynnie: [Laughs] Well, okay then. I should get going. See you guys in a few. [She hands Grace the camera.]

[Clip ends and shows Lynnie at then end of the small runway in the middle of the boutique.]

Lynnie: [Puts on her model face and struts down the runway as if she were really a model.]

Josie: [Claps and cheers.] Yay, Mama! So pretty! GG look it!

Grace: [Bounces Josie on her lap, but holds the camera sort of still.] I see, baby.

Lynnie: [Stops at the end of the runway and turns to the two.] Okay, how’s this?

Josie: [Her face scrunches and shakes her head.] It’s not poufy! You need poufy!

Grace: [Nods.] I agree. More pouf.

Lynnie: Okay, be right back.

[She goes back to her dressing room, and clip after clip in various dresses (short, slinky, A-lines, mermaids, trumpet, and so on) with various, but ultimately disapproving opinions.]

Lynnie: What about this one?

Josie: [Shakes her head with two thumbs down.] Yucky.

Grace: Um, maybe not.

Lynnie: [Sighs and turns on her heels.] I'll be right back.

[She returns with her model face on and a new dress.]

Lynnie: Okay... this one?

Josie: [Jumps off of Grace’s lap after the last one.] No, Mama. You need poufy! [She said, waving her arms and using grand gestures like a little diva fashionista.] You gotta be fluffy! And pink! And big! Very big!

Grace: [Nods] I agree. Big. Unique. Bridal.

Lynnie: GG, it’s not a real-

Josie: Poufy, Mama! [Josie’s face scrunches into her serious one.]

Grace: Lightbulb! We’re going to design your wedding dress!

Lynnie: Grace! No! It’s not even a real-

[The clip ends and pick up with Lynnie shooting the scene from her neck up.]

Lynnie: So, from when we left off to now, well… let’s just say we’re going to be seeing a Josie original [She rolled her eyes in amusement with a smirk to match.] And I was told not to call it a [Whispers] ‘fake wedding.’ [She uses her normal voice.] Or I will be met with not one, but two irate wedding planners who do a lot of fussing, add in some tears, and use the pout to their advantage. And this is where it got me. [She laughs and shakes her head.]

Josie: [Takes a picture of Lynnie with her phone.] Whoa, Mama! Biiiiiiig dress! [She giggles and dances with the phone in her hand.] So pretty![She bounces to the woman around and up to the dressmaker who’s pinning more toole to the dress Lynnie is wearing.]

[The girl tugs on the tape measure draped over the woman’s shoulders.] Big! More poufy! Please? Mama is a princess, she gotta have a big dress. And pink! Put pink! And feathers, and flowers, and pouf, lady! Pouf!

Lynnie: [In a stern tone.] Josie.

Josie: Please, Miss Dress Lady? [She pouts at the woman who just laughs at the toddler.]

[The clip ends and Lynnie is grinning from ear to ear. Her cheeks start to hurt from all of the smiling.]

Lynnie: So, I’m here, sitting in bed next to this sleepy man, who happens to be my… [She holds up her new engagement ring.]

fiancé! [She squeals and wiggles where she sits.] Meaning, the fake wedding slash vow renewal will be a real wedding. The next time you see me, I’ll be a missus. More specifically, Mrs. Jocelyn Danielle Stevens. Nice ring to it, huh? [She shrugs.] I think so. Anyways, my next video will be from today, maybe, until well... the day I shoot it. Maybe it will be a recap of the wedding, honeymoon - which... we'll see about that. I might have to edit it to PG standards, but then again, I there might not be a whole lot of that kind of footage... just sayin'. And then whatever odds and ends kind of clips. I'm not sure, but it will definitely be my New Years Challenge video. Look out for that!

Say, bye, baby. [She pans the video down to Xavier.]

Xavier: Bye guys! [He gives a tired wave to the camera.] Like and subscribe to mi nena bonita - soon to be esposa. 

Lynnie: [Giggles.] So, until then, I will see you guys! Bye!

[Sung, in the tune of "Hello" from The Book of Mormon]

Hello, my name is Elder Gilbert, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book!

[Elliott suddenly looks into the camera with one eyeball and says "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii," laughing as he relaxes back in his seat.]

I'm not actually Mormon. I'm Jewish. But y'know. Welcome to my channel anyway! [He claps at the camera.]

So...I'm spending this rainy afternoon watching Les Miserables and being judged by this lady in the back... [He points over his shoulder] So, since I'm apparently being annoying, I've decided to take a break from singing along with the Barricade Boys to bring you my first video on my channel, Key of E-X-G.

[He grins, very proud of the pun he's made.]

[Cricket sound effect]

[Elliott makes shifty eyes from the right to the left.]

Anyway, my name is Elliott Xavier Gilbert. I am 21, Jewish, a Junior at LSU, and have no idea what I am doing. [He grins and nods, moving his hands about for effect.]

Soooo...this video is basically just to tell you what to expect from me, I guess. I'm a music education major, so you should probably expect some music, be it from my mouth-hole or a piano... And then you can probably expect random shenanigans and vlogs, because that's a thing. I might review some stuff, too. I'm basically going to be throwing a lot at you, but I think you're really going to like it. [Showman's grin and a wink.] You can put in the comments what you'd like to see my dumb ass do. [He points downward.] Down there. Command me to do things.

[Makes a face of terror at the camera.]

Maybe that wasn't a good idea.

Oh well!

Videos will probably be posted on Sundays, since that seems to be the day when I don't have anything to do... I'm loaded during the week. Yay, credit overload! [He tosses a bunch of paper into the air and watches as it floats down, a few pieces smacking him in the face.]

Uhh, yeah! You're going to notice that I'm a huge dork. But I'm a fun dork. So, you know. Take that how you will.

So, if you've enjoyed watching me flop about like a very, very awkward fish out of water, click that subscribe button! Maybe I've charmed you with my cute-ness. I hope I have.

[Cassidy turns on the video, her face is pretty stoic, she looks a little apprehensive almost. After a moment of just sitting there, she lets out a sigh.] So this months challenge, to talk about something personal. [Looks down at her hands and takes another deep breath.] This one is kinda hard for me. So if you stick around and bare with me til the end, I appreciate it. I fought with this for a bit after seeing the prompt because I wasn’t really sure I wanted the whole world to know. Not that I guess it really matters, but it’s not something I love talking about. But it’s something that’s been really prominent in my life and as much as I try to avoid it, which I know is bad too, I can’t. I’m at home right now in Conyers with my family, and actually it’s really hard being here right now. Not with my family, but because of the memories. and everything that kinda comes with it.

[Cassidy chews on her bottom lip for a moment, realizing she’s just sitting there, she lets it go and stops for a moment.] So just about three years ago, I was in a bad car accident. A car accident that took the life of my boyfriend at the time and injured me pretty badly. [She blinks hard, forcing the tears away for now.] It took a little bit for me to recover physically, and emotionally, I’m not recovered. I’m a lot better than I was before, but I know I still have a long way to go with that.

The hardest part about it all I’m coming to realize is, I never really got to mourn him. [She looks to the side, a little shocked by what she’d just said, not entirely sure where the words were coming from.] I’ve always felt really guilty about it, like it’s my fault, I was driving, and I didn’t see the car coming that hit us. The driver was drunk, and he ran the red light, I didn’t even see him coming. And maybe if I had… I should… [Cassidy shook her head, stopping herself from continuing with that.] The man driving the car should not have gotten into the car that night, and because of his stupid decision not only did he die, but he took the life of someone very important to me. And he hurt me in the process. So because of that, I never got the chance to say goodbye to Nick. I was out of it for a couple of days after the initial accident, and I wasn’t released from the hospital til a couple weeks after they held his memorial service.

[Cassidy took another deep breath, what she just said being the first time she had ever really put the blame on someone else. She had known that fact the entire time, and while it was in the back of her mind she had constantly thought she could have done something, that it was her fault.] And as guilty as I feel, as much as I feel like I should have been more aware and that I should have seen him coming and that it was my fault… I realize, I’m really angry. I’m angry that this guy ruined two lives completely, and severely impacted mine. [Cassidy looks to the side, what she’s saying sinking in that she actually feels it too.]

I miss him. [She says after another pause.] Which I know it’s normal and it doesn’t take away from anything else going on in my life right now, but it’s hard for me right now. I know I’ve got good things for me, great things actually, and I’m happy, but I do miss him. It is normal right? [Sighs] Which this what I’ve been working on. Or trying to work on in therapy. Which I’ve kinda been just letting happen, not really participating in as much as I should. Which I know doesn’t help, and I’ve got excuses left and right, but it needs to stop. So I’m going to stop it. [Gives a slight nod.] The last week actually wasn’t so bad, and I did put in an effort, which I think is what got me to realize I was angry more than anything right now, and after being home and thinking about it.

I’ve got some things I need to think about still, and to kinda process. I mean, I still feel the guilt I’ve been feeling, but I’m kinda realizing it’s not nearly as intense as it was. [Sighs.] I do, I feel a bit different, so I mean, I guess that’s good. But we’ll see. I just have to keep working on this, and I plan to. I’m not giving up, and I’m going to be better. This is something I’m going to be able to let go. [She feels tears welling up in her eyes, but a different kind of tears this time around. There were more hope in them then there had been before. Wiping at her cheeks a bit.] Mostly for me, but for everyone around me. It’s started impacting how I am with people I really care about and I hate that more than anything, that it’s had this hold over me so much.

It’s been tough, it’s still tough and I’m not done yet, I know I’ve got more ahead of me and it’s still not going to be easy. It’s been so far from easy, but I’m getting there. And this isn’t entirely what I intended to talk about. Well, I wasn’t sure where I was going with it, that I was just going to talk about, but it’s been good. This wasn’t that bad of an assignment. Well, I mean I dreaded it when I first saw it and clearly it’s taken me all month, but it turned out not as bad as I had envisioned. I thought for sure I was about to have a breakdown on camera or something. [A small smile forms on her lips a little bit.]

So I’m going to work on that stuff, and maybe next time this comes up I’ll have better news for you, or something. Who knows. [Her shoulders rise and fall a bit, but she can feel a different air about her. Feeling more optimistic than she had in the past, not sure where this had come from today, but feeling more positive about it overall.] So, one more thing before I go, make sure you go and check out my charity that I’m donating too. Bring awareness to it, donate, read about it. Do all three, don’t, but just do something. But this needs to be something that people are aware of. Drunk driving needs to be stopped. No one should have to go through this. So anything that can be done to help is wonderful.

[Ryder sits down after turning on the camera, this time looking a little nervous] Hello again internet, its me Ryder and this week I'm doing something a little out of the ordinary for me. This month's LSUtube challenge is to make an About Me video that gives the audience a run down of your entire life and experiences and I've been agonising over how exactly to go about that for so long that I'm having to do it now right as the month is about to end. I'm not really the type of person to share much about themselves, so this is definitely going to be hard for me but I'm always up for a challenge. [Ryder gives the camera a 'thumbs up' in a show of false bravado but is clearly still anxious]

So, to start off with, I'll go all the way back to the beginning. My life began at Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, where I was born just a few minutes past midnight on 30th September 1995. While I was born in Fort Smith, as I mentioned in my last video, I grew up in the small town of Cedarville which is about twenty miles north of there. Fort Smith just happens to be the closest city with a maternity ward to my hometown. Cedarville is your typical small Southern town in every sense. Its a very insular, very conservative and very closely knit community with just over 1300 people. Everybody knows everybody, especially if your parents are fairly major members of the local community. My dad, Steven Lynn, is more commonly known in town as Dr. Lynn since he runs the only local practice. My mom, Rebecca, not only helps out at my dad's practice but also runs most of the community groups and committees in town. If there's a petition that needs signing or a charity bake sale, you can be pretty much assured that Rebecca Lynn is behind it. [Ryder stops and just smiles, remembering all his mother's activities around Cedarville]

Despite how neurotically over-achieving my parents are, I can honestly say they're the best parents in the world. I know everyone says that about their mom and dad but I promise you that they are the two most selfless, generous and supportive people I know. These two would probably walk through fire for anyone who was in need, even if they didn't know them. That's the kind of people they are and honestly, if I turn out to be even half as great as them I will be a pretty lucky human being. I know that sound massively sappy but I guess when I get a little further along in this video, you'll see why I'm so in awe of them and you'll probably be a little in awe of them too.

I started school, just like almost everybody else, at age five when I started at Cedarville Preschool. Unlike other kids, I really struggle for most of my early school years with reading and comprehension until my fifth grade teacher talked to my parents about getting me tested for dyslexia. As it turned out, that teacher was completely right. I did have dyslexia. Or, to be more accurate, I still do have dyslexia. The symptoms just aren't as pronounced as they were. After I got diagnosed, the first thing my parents did was sit me down and explain to me that in no way did it mean I was dumb or stupid or any of the other things that my classmates or even some of my teachers had called me over the years. See what I meant by incredibly supportive? A month or two after that, my parents and I started travelling to Little Rock almost every weekend for a dyslexia intervention program. It was definitely difficult and one of the hardest things but it really helped me out a lot in the long run. Like I said, I still have dyslexia and some days are harder than others but I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't gone through that program and I'm so thankful for all their help.

After that, the rest of my school career was fairly smooth sailing or at least it was up until my final year of high school. As soon as I entered high school, I pretty quickly realized that I was very good at sports. So good, in fact, that by the time I was a sophomore I was already playing as the first string quarterback for our highschool's football team, the Pirates. Another thing I also started to realize in highschool was my sexuality. I don't really go broadcasting this too much but since I am a member of LSU's LGBTQIA+ community group it shouldn't come that much of a surprise that I'm not heterosexual. Instead, I'm bisexual and I really started to figure that out in the last few months as a sophomore. I'd dated a few girls, even been in “love” but I also started noticing that I felt the same way about guys too. Living in a conservative rural town, this obviously freaked me out quite a bit when I first confronted it. I was terrified what my friends would say, what my parents would do and pretty much just scared of anything to do with it. After a while, I came to terms with it and started to really accept it for myself but I was still very adamant about not telling anyone. At least not until I was away at college.

That seemed to be going fairly well until something happened in my senior year that made everyone in town very aware of my bisexuality. While I've been fairly open with what I'm telling you so far, I don't really want to get into that whole sequence of events here as it was pretty recent and I guess I'm still dealing with it myself. All you really need to know is that a very large portion of Cedarville and the people I called my friends were not happy. I was even effectively thrown off the football team by the joint efforts of both a very homophobic coach and very homophobic captain which ultimately made me lose my scholarship to the University of Arkansas. [Ryder stops and falters a little, clearly getting pretty emotional] Sorry, just give me a second.

[He shakes his head and calms himself down] The one little positive of the whole thing, however, was my parents. Just like with the dyslexia, they were incredibly loving and supportive through out the whole thing and had no issues whatsoever with my sexuality. As it turned out, the weekend the whole thing went down, my mom was about to tell me we were going to be flying out to Chicago later that week so we could attend her sister's wedding to her long time girlfriend. They definitely didn't have a problem with it. While that was all well and good, there was still the issue of college. University of Arkansas was definitely off the table since I'd lost my scholarship and I didn't really want to go to a university where most of my classmates were heading anyway so my parents and I looked at a few other universities and saw LSU. My mom has a very large amount of family here in Baton Rogue so it seemed like a pretty solid idea, especially since they were all more than happy to let me stay with them over the summer so that I could just get out of Cedarville as soon as possible.

All the family here have been incredibly understanding and welcoming which has meant I've had a really great support network the whole time I've been at LSU. I guess I should have mentioned that pretty much my whole family is as wonderful as my parents. Not to say it hasn't been hard, though. I definitely do miss my parents and having to start all over in a new city and make new friends hasn't been easy but I think that given the situation, everything has turned out pretty well. I love it here at LSU and I've met some really great people through my classes, Spectrum, the station and even from the Through My Eyes Program. Everyday I spend here is so rewarding and I'm now that I'm so lucky to be here.

Well. This has been a pretty long video but I think I've covered everything I wanted to. I hope this gave you a little more insight into who I am and what I'm all about even if I did spend half of it just talking about how great my parents are. I've really enjoyed watching everyone else's videos and I hope this is as good and as honest as theirs. Also, before I forget, I just wanted to say that I'm donating the extra proceeds from this video to the International Dyslexia Association. They're a not-for-profit based in Baltimore dedicated to dyslexia advocacy and education and definitely a cause close to my heart. Thanks for watching, remember to like and subscribe and I'll see you all in the New Year. Bye!

Hey guys, [waves at the camera]. So I’m supposed to get really personal this go round and I think it’s kinda cool. So I say challenge accepted. There’s a lot that folks don’t know about me. A lot that I really don’t tell and I keep close to vest. [He places his hand over his heart to make his point]. So  I guess I should start at the very beginning?  I was born October 11, 1992.  And to be quite honest, I wonder if my parents even were happy for that day. I feel like they probably didn’t want it to come about. Maybe it was an accident because as long as I can remember they never truly acted like parents. [he shrugs] I mean sure they paid for things from a very early start. I never wanted or needed for anything but after I was about five or six the nurturing stopped. By the time I was 10ish, the bonding time kind of stopped too.  My life up until that point wasn’t really all that noteworthy it was kind of boring. I had school. I came home. I watched limited hours of tv. I studied. Yes even at a young age I studied. It was where I learned to live my life on a very strict schedule.

I did, however, have an escape. I used to chill in the tub. It was my safe place. Mi abuela always knew just where to find me. [laughs] I’d learned early on that no matter what, people wouldn’t come looking for you in the bathroom. They tend to just leave you be in there. I was really not that exciting of a kid or had an exciting life as a child. I was very sheltered. My parents didn’t care too much. Um, when I was 13 I got into an argument with my mother. She wanted me to learn to play an instrument. I chose guitar, she wanted me to choose piano or violin. I purposely fudged up those lessons. But I excelled at guitar. [He gives the camera a devious smirk] Hey, I had to rebel somehow.

When I was 14, I met my bestfriend Tamzin when she transferred to my high school. Oh, and at that time, another piece of rebellion happened. I hated the name Christopher, so I changed it. I wanted to be known by my middle name, Xavier. I liked it better and my parents never referred to me as Xavier so it was a win win for me. I also started a band with Tam when I was 14. It was pretty fun. Pretty cool too. We kept it going until graduation. I was also and probably still am a huge nerd and over achiever. [he laughs and hides his face momentarily] Because my parents were academically focused and future focused and very appearance focused, I was in so many clubs. I always had to have straight A’s and I had to be perfect. It was as if they were raising a drone or something and not a son, but even my absolute best was never good enough. [Gives a sad smile] I tried hard though. I did everything that was asked of me and then some. I didn’t have all that much fun except with my bad. And then came my moment of true rebellion when I started partying as an upperclassman. But I took it up a notch that summer after graduation happened when there was beer. It was the first time Tam or I had even had a drink. [Sighs] One thing led to another…and she told me she was pregnant and life got hella real. I had offers on the table to go to any college I wanted. I had applied to LSU with her because she’s my best friend and I’d have loved to go to LSU with her. My parents on the other hand made me apply to Ivy leagues as well. Of course I got accepted to all of them, but with a baby on the way, I had to go to LSU. The folks didn’t like it but I was going to college, and I was majoring partly in something they deemed respectable. [He shrugs, knowing that he’d have never picked teaching had they not insisted on something respectable].

I wasn’t going to get financial aid if I tried not with their incomes so they had to pay for my schooling because I didn’t have a job and there was no damn way I could be a double major, try to live a life that impresses them, and also be a father, which I knew the moment I told them, I’d be cut off. My parents didn’t like Tam and they sure as heck wouldn’t like that at such an early age I was a father. I would be stuck trying to pay for school and be a dad and working all at the same time. And something would surely go lacking. I’d wind up not being able to provide a bright future for my daughter this way, so I lied. I’m still lying. [He holds up a hand to the audience he knew would be wanting to ask questions to their computer screens] I know you’re wondering why am I telling this is my parents don’t know? Why do I have Josie on my videos if it’s supposed to be a secret? Well, simply put, my parents don’t give a shit about me. I don’t curse often but it’s true. They haven’t come to any play that I was in in high school. None of my lacrosse games, then nor now. They don’t watch my Youtube Channel and Tam is the only friend I have from back home, so there’s no one keeping tabs on me for them.

Um, come March of my freshman year, I was a father and I had no clue what I was doing. Fatherhood was hard. I was more withdrawn than anything. I wasn’t ashamed that I was a father, I just didn’t want the dirty looks or the negative connotations that came with it or the people who might look at you different when you told them. Tam and I, we worked at it. We were roommates at this really rad Penthouse apartment. I didn’t even know LSU had, but I’m so glad they did. It’s a place I loved.  So Freshman year was a good year. I met the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen that year. It’s the year green became my favorite color.  [Feels himself blushing lightly and clears his throat.]

Um, the rest of the time was pretty uneventful. I got in the theatre people and I started working behind the scenes on the musicals. I was on the Lax team. Sophomore year I was elected captain. Josie’s terrible twos were a nightmare. Um, then Junior year rolled around and everything went from boring to exciting. I had sex for the first time in years that year. I broke a few hearts and got a few love proposals. But that year was important. It was the year that Miss Jocelyn Stevens and I became closer. It was the year that our relationship went from friends, to really good friends to in a relationship. [He can’t help the wide grin he has at that] It was the year that I felt romantic love for the first time, when I thought that I wouldn’t be able to ever.

That brings me to my senior year. Which that’s still in progress. But I’ve had an internship in LA this past summer which was a dream come true and everything I want to do with my life in the future. My baby moved in with me, which yep that has to happen in the future too. I feel like I have a family for the first time in my life. Oh yeah and I’m student teaching hellions.  But that’s beside the point. Thus far that’s been my life. I’m sorry if I’ve bored you guys to death. I mean I could have went into more detail about these past two school years, but I’d have to change the rating and it’d get a little X rated up in here. [Laughs] So I’m not the most exciting guy. Not really, but in a nutshell that’s my life. Eso es mi vida. Hope you guys enjoyed. Also, the foundation that I chose is the Universal Love Foundation, it helps single parent families get on their feet. I've got Tam and an advantage in it all that I'm not doing this alone, but had either of us had to, I know how trying it could be, so definitely help those in need of a little assistance. I'll have more in the links below. Until next time, guys.