Mark Edward Fischbach is a YouTuber that means a thousand things to literally millions of people. Whether he is screaming, laughing or crying, his videos have literally saved lives. I have been watching him be silly for the internet for about four years, and there are a few things I would like to say.
Dear Mark,
I found you through an ex-boyfriend that I hope to never see in person again. However, that did not ruin your channel for me. In fact, when I was upset, that was where I often found myself. There was a lot of yelling and I didn't quite understand what was going on- I'm not much of a gamer- I found myself laughing even on some of my darkest days.
Your dedication is remarkable. While I know there's no way for you to meet and remember every single one of us, your heart is so large and so full of love that even you have said it tears you up to not know all of us by name. I can see how much you care about your channel, about us, in every single video you make, from your classic introduction to watching you wave goodbye at the end (if I'm feeling particularly emotional, I will even wave back sometimes).
When you were in the hospital because of the blockage in your intestines, I turned on the notifications to your Facebook page to keep up with what was going on and to make sure you were all right. I had never cared so much about someone I never met, but you are so familiar to me: your voice, your corny jokes, and watching you have fun with Tyler, Ethan, Amy and everyone else has become a part of my daily life.
I can honestly say if I truly met you, I would have no idea what to say. Something tells me I would be overwhelmed and I wouldn't be able to say much at all. Your encouragement despite being hours away has done more for me than I know how to put into this article. You talk about dreams and throwing yourself into what you love, and it reminds me not to get stuck in the menial day to day tasks I have to do just to get by.
When my anxiety is tearing me apart, your voice and your videos legitimately calm me down and allow me to pull myself together. Because for me, you are safe. You are warm. You are kind and gentle and goofy and your videos have been there when I have felt completely isolated from the rest of the world.
So no, I have never met you, but the trust and love and respect I have for you cannot be measured. To me you are an old friend, a companion that has grown as I have, despite being on different paths and leading entirely different lives.
I do not know if you'll ever read this. I hope that you do. Because even if I never make it to L.A. to tell you all of this myself, it's so important to me that you know all of this. I don't say these things to remind you how influential you are, or to make it feel like you have a burden on your shoulders, but simply to thank you for never giving up no matter how many times you could have....
Because despite having never met you face to face, you are so important to me. And I know I am not alone in this.
We love you, Mark.
Sincerely,
A loving fan, and friend.
