Shoutout Sunday #5: The Amazing Randy Hyson Jr.

Top picture: Randy with his beautiful puppy, Annie. Bottom Picture: Randy with his beloved grandma, Josie - or as he likes to call her, "Jo-Jo" - who sadly passed away recently

Randy is one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met - period. That may be a bold statement to open with, but read on and you'll find out why I have just said that! We have now known each other for years, with our friendship starting through our shared love for My Chemical Romance - like a whole load of my other online friends/family - but once we started to message and get to know each other, it became clear that we had so much more than that in common, and that we were going to become very close friends, and like brothers to one another.

Our opening bunch of messages to each other were long - with the first message being on the 22nd of November 2012 - and it was already clear that we were both the type of people who liked to send detailed, lengthy, and passionate messages to people. Truth be told, if I know somebody well, that's the kind of messages that I'm most a fan of, as it always shows that the other person really cares, and has put thought and effort into their message. As we became closer, it turned out that we both had a love for not just the same type of music - we're both massive fans of MCR, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and about a million other rock bands(!) - but also that we both loved video games and sports, too, meaning that we bonded in a very strong way. When it comes to music, not only are we both hugely passionate about a bunch of the same bands, but we have also introduced each other to new bands - for example: he introduced me to the brilliant Third Eye Blind - a band I only previously knew for "Semi-Charmed Life", because of how that awesome song features in the movie American Pie - and he recommended me to buy their self-titled debut album, which came out 18 years ago (Side note: American Pie came out almost 16 years ago - wow!), and I really do think it is one of the greatest alternative rock albums I've ever listened to! He looks out for the results of my favourite sports team, Reading F.C., and I'm always looking out for his favourite teams, the Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat (that's American football and basketball, for those unaware; two sports that he adores, in particular American football). And when it comes to video games, well, let's just say this: we're both huge geeks, and damn proud of it! To meet and just hang out and play video games together would be awesome, but to go to a sporting event or concert together would be a moment neither of us would ever forget. He also absolutely loves pro wrestling and comic books.

Above: Randy kitted out in Miami Dolphins gear, his favourite sports team on the planet. Below: Randy when he was 9 years old, along with his sister, Brie[anna], who was 4.

As we messaged each other more and more, we realised that there was a mutual trust and understanding there, so the messages got more personal. Now I'm not one to ever get too personal on my blog, especially about other people, be we really have helped each other during times where we've been in need. If I need an honest, thoughtful message filled with warmth, he's one of the first people I would turn to, and he knows he'd get the same back from me. Maybe we don't always fully understand what the other person has been through, or is going through, but you can guarantee that we always do our best to be there for each other, be supportive, and show love and compassion in the best way we can. It has to be said that reading back through some of our messages, for the sake of this piece of writing, almost brought a tear to my eye! It's this sort of phenomenal relationship that I have with him, which is almost unrivalled by anybody else on the planet (bar my best friend, Peter Machin, who I can say anything to, too). Thanks for always caring about me, and being there in times of need - you're a bro for life, and I love you, man (we say that to each other because it's also a reference to the movie "I love you, man", which we both completely love)! ^-^ <3