When I saw a few days back on Twitter that Hank and Katherine had had their first baby, I was almost as happy as I would be if my own brother had become a father. I have never met Hank or John Green, nor any of their assorted family members in real life but they do form an important part of my life and have done so for the past 5 years.
It was 2011 when I saw my first vlogbrothers video… yes, I know I was pretty late in latching on to the internet phenomenon that the brothers had become. But right from that first video I watched, I was hooked. There was an indescribable quality to their videos that set them apart from everything else on Youtube… something that made me sit that Saturday afternoon with a bowl of popcorn and binge all their content; from the first Brotherhood 2.0 videos to the other channels that had developed from the vlogbrothers platform over the years.
I must say, most of my current Youtube subscriptions are either from channels that have their foundation in vlogbrothers or other Youtubers who collaborated with John or Hank over the years. SciShow, Crash Course, Vidcon and Project for Awesome are just a few of the beautiful, intelligent and endlessly interesting thought babies of Hank and John Green.
While John was, is and will be a famous author in his own right, Hank Green is entirely an internet phenomenon. It has been particularly inspiring watching Hank grow into his own stardom and understand the importance of his internet presence while still maintaining his core personality. The idea that he’s been able to be himself and stay that way through so much pressure to change and mold oneself to fit the best selling shtick is inspiring – while Hank has made me want to be more like him, he has inspired me to be more myself too.
Another thing I admire about the brothers is the way they are able to balance their stardom with their personal lives. Neither of the spouses spends a lot of time on camera nor do their children, pets or friends. But the feeling being a part of their community is always welcoming, all-encompassing and inclusive. They have also discussed many important and difficult topics on their videos without seeming preachy, self-pitying, self-important or obnoxious.
The enormous nerdfighter community that has sprung up from shared values and ideas inspired by the Green brothers, is a truly refreshing world to be a part of. To have such a strong, varied and resourceful support system in my life is a wonderful feeling that encourages me to put myself out more, experiment and learn more about me and my limitations or lack thereof.
I shall forever be grateful for all the fun, knowledge, courage and everyday encouragement that John, Hank and the entire nerdfighter community have given me for the past 5 years. I am thankful to John and Hank Green for having been such an important part of my life… And I hope to be able to grow as a person and make a difference in someone’s life like you did in mine.
As always, Don’t Forget to be Awesome
Hank and Katherine – Congratulations on the biggest achievement of your lives, baby Orin Green
A Touch of Whimsy 