Yesterday I got an email from a man named Scott Levine…& for those who’ve been following along, that name may ring a bell.
Scott’s the CFO of the Florida Panthers, who was the first C-Level pro sports exec to share his MH story w this platform. Despite having roots w the Panthers, Scott started working there well after I got sick, so we were never formally colleagues.
He asked if we had polos w #SameHere on them, bc the Panthers communications dept had reached out abt doing a roundtable discussion on MH in an office/team environment. Though the Panthers were leaning on us for panelists (experts in this space of organizational MH specifically), Scott’s email was the first I’d heard that he was going to be joining us (btw, he’s hearing this for the first time, too ).
As someone who’s struggled feeling emotions, Scott’s email & ask for a branded shirt (one that he wants to add the Panthers logo to), warmed my heart in a way that I can’t do proper justice to.
By saying he was psyched to be on the panel…to share his experiences…to wear the brands he stands for, he was essentially saying how we’re all bonded in a way that’ll never be broken.
Scott shared his story on this platform many months ago. He’s not a “me” guy, so he’s not commenting &/or sharing left & right…so gauging his engagement interest is hard, unless we talk. But, his email & the words & questions w/in showed me how bonded we all are, & will continue to be.
And that’s how I feel w so many of you; & you to each other. Ppl like Katie & Brad who do #SameHere Tik Tok videos. Ms Carol who comments on almost every post to encourage others.
Then there are diff ppl we have met on our travels, like in this pic at Loyola w one of the women’s teams. Can’t tell you how many panels I’ve been on where ppl who shared months or even YEARS ago, say – “Eric, it’s been a while since we exchanged stories at XYZ school.”
Vulnerably sharing our stories in a group setting, whether in-person or online (as this platform has proven), binds us in ways that can’t be measured. We become a unified, growing group of advocates. Thank you for your vulnerability & teamwork.
