It is with sorrow to inform you guys that Josh took his own life this past Saturday morning. He was very loved and will be missed.
It seems that he wanted his final goodbye to be read by the website, so if you want to read it you can here: http://tsunderesoviet.tumblr.com/
Share your good memories of him if you feel inclined to do so, and please keep this thread civil and polite. Any negative comments will be deleted and the user suspended.
i believe gary was of the camp that letting loose on the site was liberating, rather than contributing to bullying. just saying, not sure he would totally agree with you, itg. but you're right, some people forget that this game has real people in it, and words can always leave a lasting impact.
....
anyway, i won't pretend like gary can somehow hear this. he can't, sadly. he's gone, and i can't say i really know why he ended his life. it's a shame, too, because if he ever opened up to me, i would have let him know how i felt about him. he was always an amusing personality on the site, even when he did inappropriate things like dox. i always felt like he had a degree of morality that made him a caring person, that he took the whole site with a grain of salt.
so in short, it's a shame to see gary express these things.
i hope you are all aware that death is never a way out, as gary briefly mentions. it is the end, not a 'way' or a 'path'. it is simply the end.
i'm glad he said he found peace, but i have a feeling this could have been prevented, whether by his family or by people who knew him better on this site. it is a shame that someone didn't reach him sooner, and hopefully his memory will affect some change not only on here, but in his personal life.
please remember to seek help before taking your own life. always, always, always, if you talk with someone prior, you will realize it is simply not the answer to your problems. it is not even an escape, it is simply the end.
and trust me, it's always worth it to keep your story going, even if it's a cruel and miserable one - just keep on living. there is always a better path than nothingness.
rip garyoak, guardian of the epicmafias, one of the best trolls of the 21st century. may god bless his soul, as he persists in eternity. you will always be with me, however fleeting a presence that may be.
rip garyoak, your name was familiar and taking one's life is tragic.
that being said :fp: at the community which promotes rampant bullying, group mentality, and haranguing other users then proceeds to be surprised it messes people up.
hopefully his death shows people how much damage words can do to people and promotes a less toxic userbase.
You know what sucks? Realizing we're all one and seeing that you feel down because some part of "ONE" was gone even if you have never seen or heard of that part.
" As for anyone else who struggles with suicidal thoughts, at least attempt to get help. For me it kept going on for longer than anyone could've imagined. Even if everything, therapy and medication, was fruitless in the end, it varies from person to person, some of you can still be saved. "
I only played with Josh a few times and did not know him well, but that note was a tough read. From reading the sentiments in this thread, he obviously touched and connected with a great many people both here and presumably offline.
If there's a lesson here it's that we should think twice before being nasty to each other; you never know what that person is going through, and your words could have a profound effect on them.
i'm not sure if this will be of monumental benefit, but in considering josh's passing we must also consider each other, ourselves, and preventative measures to ensure our health and safety:
1 (800) 273-8255
for those in the US, that's the number for the national suicide prevention lifeline. i'm not saying you have to put it on your speed-dial (or do, if you feel that you need to) but it's there for your convenience and i hope that it may help someone in the future should they feel like they are at a loss for options.
Josh, I'm sorry I didn't have a lot of interactions with you. You always seemed level-headed to me. I read your goodbye, and I just wish your life had turned out differently. The same goes for everyone struggling with what you went through. I wish you could've found another way out. Rest in peace :(
deletedalmost 10 years
I shouldn't be posting on the forums as Jackhammer is no more, however...
This news shook me to my very core. Though I hardly had any interactions with Josh at all, nobody deserves to go through that. He will undoubtedly be sorely missed. Rest in peace, GaryOak.
so...i never spend time in the main forums. but i would just like to say that, josh, when we did know each other for a while last year, i always found you to be a really cool person to talk to and i really admired you and your intelligence, your wit and humor, your complex personality and ease of talking to pretty much everyone... you definitely had a way with words and you could start a conversation with anyone you met. i really feel like you taught me some things. and i really wish that we could have kept on being friends until much more recently. thank you for being you. may you rest in peace
I'm very sad by this, Josh was always nice to me with in his own sarcastic way but I enjoyed that. Talking to him always brought a smile on my face because who would say half the stuff he would! lol I last talked to Josh a week ago which doesn't feel too long, but I'll miss you bud <3
I'm sad. Although he did try to ban me saying I was sharing my account with a banned user once. But I'm sad.
deletedalmost 10 years
I never knew him well, but from the games I did play with him he was very funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed every SITD we played together. I knew about some of his past on em, but I saw him as he was while he was here-a truly caring and wonderful individual. I really wish I could've gotten to know him better...
I'm glad you're at rest and in peace now. Though I only knew you briefly I doubt I will ever forget you and the encounters we had, they were very enjoyable. <3
Josh
