In A World Like This Where Some Back Down, I Know We’re Gonna Make It – An Open Letter To The Fans

I always knew I would write this letter when I started the open letters but I wanted this one to be more of a surprise…
If you’re reading this, this is for you.

To all the fans within this wild and crazy fandom of ours,

Yes, I’m talking directly to you this time.

Because that’s a major reason why we’re all still here, isn’t it? This group of people. A wildly different, varied and beautiful group of people located all around the world. We may never have met – at least in person. Maybe we have. Either way, we’ve influenced if not changed each other’s lives. Isn’t that crazy to think about? That maybe you across the ocean helped me right here in Las Vegas. The world is so interconnected now, in ways it never has been. We may have nothing in common. We may have everything in common. I don’t know. You don’t know. What I do know is one thing…

You, the person reading this? Loves the Backstreet Boys. Just like me.

That is what connects us. That is why we’re both here. Five men, their performances, their music, they brought us all together.

I want to thank all of you, for being part of this fandom with me. One thing I’ve learned is while yes we are absolutely dysfunctional (when fans fight, it can get insane!) we come together when it matters. We unite together. We will pray for each other in the darkest of times. We will lift each other up when the light comes back yet again. We will support one another the same way we do the Boys. People I never knew, had never met, were checking in on me the night of the Vegas massacre two years before to make sure I was okay as it’s known I live here. Years ago when my mom passed, people sent flowers and gifts – fans I never knew. I got love and support from around the world. When fans hear of hard times such as cancer, illnesses, you name it – we so our best to share that support and love in every way we can. We welcome one another at shows and become friends if we see a fellow fan alone. We bond and share in the happiness the Boys bring us. Because in the end, that’s what’s important.

We are, as Sara once said – in her oh so iconic way on her website What Happens On The Backstreet – a fan-mily.

And I want you to know just what that means. It means we will be there for each other. It means we don’t need to prove anything to those who don’t understand. We don’t need to try and argue or feed into the hate of those who try and tear us down. We will lift each other up, stand by one another, and shut out any darkness that threatens to stand in our way. We will drive away that darkness by spreading all the light among ourselves. Nothing else will matter. We will celebrate each other’s victories and be there to help one another through whatever losses are to come. We will enjoy everything still ahead in the next decade or decades. Who knows? There’s no limit to joy. And that’s what this is about, joy.

I want to thank all of you, reading this right now. For being there. For another fan. For the Boys. All that support and love you can always feel flowing through this fandom. Because it’s there. It’s why I’ve never felt unwelcome. Sure, we’re not perfect. Nothing is. No one is. But I know we all care about each other. We don’t all like to admit it, but it’s still true. It’s why we’re there for one another the moment we’re needed. Something like that is beautiful. Remember that. Bask in it.

Never let anyone shame you, either. Be proud. I am.

This fandom has seen it’s ups and downs, yet we are stronger for it.

We will continue to watch our Boys rise to success.

We will continue to be the fan-mily that cannot be broken.

I know we will make it, and we will enjoy every moment as if it’s our last.

Because that in the end, is all that matters.