If you haven’t watched the “Today” interview w Harry Miller from yesterday morning…& you’re someone who cares about change taking place in the word of MH, do yourself a favor & go watch it – and beam with pride as to what a true public figure advocate who can drive massive change looks like.
This guy is built like a monster: 6’-5” 300…much like DK Metcalf from the last post, he’s “not the image of someone you’d expect to be talking like this.” And that’s the point.
You don’t think of 300 lb linemen as HS valedictorians, engineers, or guys who volunteer in Nicaragua w underprivileged families. But that’s exactly who Harry is – and his genuineness beamed through in his 8 minute interview.
He cried when he talked about his experience. Cried when he talked about how he almost wasn’t here. He didn’t lead w a label – in fact I’m pretty sure he didn’t even mention a label the whole interview.
He talked about his feelings & thoughts as a child & how challenging they were. He addressed the way in HS things “shifted” & he was getting by – not as much in the valley. But then…he spoke about the pressures of playing in front of 100k, & getting death threats via text messages as a college athlete when he didn’t play well or missed an assignment.
All the while, he came across as a HUMAN. Every ounce of him spoke to other HUMANS. When asked to leave everyone w advice, he requested a camera to look directly into so that he could deliver a heartfelt, genuine message – one w tangible recommendations about those who may be feeling suicidal. With every inch of his large frame, he showed how much he wanted to help humanity.
In a space where many public figures are quick to throw out a DSM5 label, leading to a product endorsement (an app or quick fix), w a prepared statement, Harry is a breath of fresh air. He deserves the right to one day get compensated for his voice…but that wasn’t his message yesterday. He’s the type of figure, w his genuine delivery, who will normalize this convo w the masses. Thank you @h_miller76.