That's right, readers; you read this correctly. Stephen Hillenburg he creator of the smash-hit Nickelodeon cartoon (and the source of a million and one Internet memes) "Spongebob Squarepants", has died.

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Not only am I writing this right as the news just came out, but it's also a very shocking thing for me to process. Spongebob is a household name, and at this point, it's practically an empire in its own right. What started as a fresh new cartoon on Nickelodeon in 1999 soon became something more...much more.

I've been watching Spongebob ever since I was a kid, much like everyone else in our generation. I can recall seeing all the episodes of Seasons 1-3 on TV for the first time! It's even surreal thinking about that now because those seasons will remain the best seasons of Spongebob ever.

Adding on to these memories, Spongebob was always a huge hit in my household. No matter what time of the year it was, one of us would always be watching an episode of this classic series. In fact, I got a Spongebob blanket as a gift back in 2002 and I still use it to this day. I never travel anywhere without it, and it's one of those things I'm proud to say I still own.

Even today, I can still say I love Spongebob without being ashamed, and so many college students can agree. The older you get, the more you realize that you can apply anything from Spongebob to any real-life situation and it'll be 100% accurate. Honestly, I can even see myself relating to some Spongebob episode in the working world long after my college days are through.

The point of this article is, Spongebob Squarepants has touched my life profoundly and continues to do so. And we all have Stephen Hillenburg to thank for making our childhoods some of the best we've ever had and creating something that continues to brighten lives young and old to this day. Swim on, Mr. Hillenburg. Your legacy and your spirit will continue to live on.

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