I’ll Never Ask Anyone to Subscribe
Years ago, I loved to argue. Loved it so much that the teacher in my high school who ran the debate team once offered to change my failing grade in some public speaking class to an A if I joined. I didn’t, of course. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or be back then. But the me of today would’ve jumped all over it.
He only offered because I tore our opponents apart in a mock debate. My partner, in a stroke of pure genius, put me, the grunge kid who didn't care about school, in charge of all the research. I did NOT do any of it. When the time came, I just caught a flaw in our opponents’ argument and ripped it to shreds, putting them on the defensive for the rest of the debate. Who needed the research anyway?
I loved to argue. Not because I had any knowledge or insight. No. I was just an asshole. Young, dumb, and full of cum. Too smart for my own good, too sure of my own bullshit, and convinced every thought was a point worth making. Today, I don’t even comment on YouTube videos. And Reddit? What the hell is that?!
Life feels like it runs on clicks now. Like and subscribe, right? But have any of them earned it? I’ve had a YouTube account since 2008, and until recently, I’d never subscribed to anyone. Never commented. Never got involved. I came from the old internet, and when the forums died, I quietly went with them.
Back then, the internet was the Wild West. Chaotic, ugly, but honest. You could be wrong, loud, stupid, and still be real. Now everything looks polished and branded. No one talks anymore. They perform. They market. They pitch whatever product sponsors them, pretending they care.
Aside from this blog, I’ve kept to myself for what feels like ages. People want clicks, and eventually, I’ll want them too. But what’s the point if it’s not genuine? Now that I’m making my first foray into the world of clicks, I want to say this: I’ll never ask for them. I’ll never beg anyone to like or subscribe. I’ll never cheapen who I am by chasing validation. That’s not who I am. And honestly, why ask for something if I haven’t earned it?
I’ve always had this philosophy: if I come up with an idea and can’t remember it days or weeks later, it was never a good idea. If you don’t remember me beyond reading a few of my sentences, that’s on me, not you. I’ll continue to put my thoughts out there, the same way we used to on the old forums. No algorithm-chasing. And if I end up being worth remembering, then I’ll have earned it.
