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This is a thank-you note that I wrote to a person who gave a small kindness to me that has shaped my life in very substantial ways. People notice and remember the times when they've received genuine generosity. In complexity, in life, things that seem small can have big effects. Here is how my life changed forever, in ways I couldn't have imagined, all because a kind person took an interest in me.

Thank you, Phil.

Thank you for your kindness. You have made a profound impact on my life.

In 2005, I was a high school senior. If I met the 2005 version of myself, we probably would not get along well. I had a typical high school experience to many, constantly feeling angry, frustrated, lonely, and resigned. I had friends, but most of the time seeing them was more like feeding a habit than something I really enjoyed. I had very little confidence, and very little pride. I did not work hard, because I didn’t see much point. I didn’t have a whole lot to hope.

In 2005, I didn’t think it was cool to try – most of the cool people made hard things seem effortless. I needed connection, so I actively tried not to try. I played a game with school, which was the unofficial rule to getting As and Bs with the least amount of work possible. I would hand in papers and scoff at the teachers grading it, like they were dumb for thinking something I slapped together in 10 minutes was any good. It wasn’t cool to be appreciated; it wasn’t cool to do good work.

My Saturday nights became routine. I would be in my room, alone, until late at night, playing Counterstrike. I was never very good, but I enjoyed playing online. I didn’t realize it then, but I enjoyed working together with people, even if they were total strangers calling me and each other whatever slur was popular back then. Eventually though, sounds of artificial gunfire and insults wears on you, so I turned off the sound and turned on the radio, to DC’s rock station, DC101.

As you know, from 2003-2011 on Saturday nights from 10-midnight, instead of their normal programming they played a block of remixes called Flounder’s Mash Ups. They were familiar, but different and new. After listening for a whole two-hour show, subgenres would emerge. Some felt like audio graffiti, like remixing the revered Grandmaster Flash with the reviled Limp Bizkit. Some felt like two musicians in concert together, effortlessly playing off similar themes and tones, like The Beatles and Nine Inch Nails. Some were just ridiculous, like DMX rapping over the theme to Mission Impossible, or Nelly rapping that he’s Number 1 over Falco’s Amadeus. My favorites were the ones where the songs together create something much better than any one individually. These mashups broke up the monotonous Saturday nights and gave me something different to look forward to. I wanted to learn more. I e-mailed the show, asking how you made these things, and what programs you used.

You answered. You answered in a way that wasn’t dismissive. You were interested. You showed me the forums that you mined for your shows content. You recommended software to get me started. You offered to review and critique anything I would make. Your answer, your kindness, and generosity, has played a part in my entire life.

From your guidance, I started making mash ups and asking you for your advice and approval. My first one was horrible, off-rhythm, and mostly just noise. You encouraged me. I practiced. I told people at school I was working on projects. Nobody cared. I kept working. I wasn’t playing video games on Saturday nights anymore – I was remixing.

Finally, while driving with my brother, a song in my CD player seemed to fit well with a song I had stuck in my head. That night I finished a Mash-Up of Nine Inch Nails and Gorillaz, both using songs from their albums from earlier in the year. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but I showed it to you, and you liked it.   I felt like you were proud of me. You even offered to put it on the radio, which I gratefully accepted. It may not have aired ever again, but on August 14th, 2005, my song was played to close out Flounders Mash-Ups on DC101. It may not have ever been played again, but I had a song on the radio, and I was proud.

Because you encouraged me, and helped me, and recognized my song, I went to Northeastern University for a Bachelors Degree Music Industry. Because I went to Northeastern University, the professors recognized that the music industry was about to change so much that I would do better in another major – Business and Entrepreneurship (they were right - Apple iTunes became the top music retailer in 2008).

Because I switched majors, I met a girl who recommended to me to take an improv class at The Improv Asylum. Because I took those improv classes, I started doing improv in Baltimore, where I would meet the people that would become my best friends. Because improv and my new friends became a bigger part in my life, I became more empathetic, more confident, more aware, and more unlike the person from 2005 than I could have imagined. My job now is to help other people make similar transitions that you have helped make in me.

I stopped doing mash-ups a long time ago, and recently I’ve moved across the country to San Francisco, so it’s harder for me to listen to DC101, but from my experience with you and from your kindness you’ve played a role that has helped me become the person I have become. Your generosity with your time and attention, however small (in fact, you may not remember me at all), may not have meant a whole lot to you, but it meant a lot to me.

I hope that you and your family are doing well. I hope that you continue to be kind and generous to more people, because it matters, in more ways that we could ever know. I hope that you continue to help others, and honor them with your respect. Your respect mattered to me. You mattered to me. You still do.

Thank you, so very much.

-  Alex “DJ Buddha-Pest” Greenland

PS – I know my DJ name was terrible. I'm happy to say it's from a long time ago.

This was Phil's Response:

I am blown away. I am very happy that you have found something that you enjoy doing. I know that if someone hadn't helped me at some point I wouldn't have been able to do the things I've done with music (Flounder's Mash Ups got me a gig on DJ Hero!)  so I just try to pay it forward. I never knew it had such an effect on anyone. Feel free to share it with anyone you wish and feel free to reach out to me anytime.

I wish you the best!

Cheers!

Phil