The first time I saw you, I thought oh, hell, here we go again. Another group of clueless reality show producers has selected an Angry Black Man [sup]TM[/sup] to piss us all off and make drama.
Wow. You slew all the stereotypes week after week. You were steadfastly a man of honor and of high moral character, who played the role of big brother and best friend to nearly everyone in the cast.
You grew. You renounced your homophobia and embraced Shane, honoring him with your unreserved respect. Even when he slapped your face, you taught the whole world what it meant to be a man. You walked away, knowing that you had the power in your fists to pulverize him if you wanted to. You never demanded an apology. You simply understood.
On the last episode, your fellow Road Rulers selected you as Most Trustworthy so you could guide them through an obstacle course a hundred feet above the ground while they were blindfolded.
You made me proud to be a human being. You will likely never read this, but I felt in my heart that I wanted to say it.
Nothing will ever deter you from reaching your goals because you have the grit, guts, and character to do anything. May your whole life be filled with the kind of joy and hope you have given me. God go with you always.
