Dear Ryan.
Dear Ryan.
Dear Ryan,
I never knew you personally. We never exchanged a word, nor did I ever see you beyond the extent of my television screen. I was only one of the millions of teenagers who grew up on Jackass and Viva La Bam and the CKY crew, spending countless afternoons laughing at the ridiculous antics of you and your friends. I was just one person who knew that she could always count on you to make her laugh, no matter how badly the day had gone. When my last month of high school went to hell, I popped Jackass 3D in and proceeded to laugh hysterically, able to forget for awhile.
When I first heard that you had died, I couldn't believe it. I laughed it off, remembering the various fake death rumors that had gone around about all the other celebrities I knew about. You couldn't be dead; you just couldn't be.
You were. After all the crazy stunts you had pulled, after wrangling a anaconda in a ball pit and being launched out of a cannon into a lake, you had died in a car accident.
I didn't cry until I watched an interview with Bam's parents, April and Phil. When April spoke about how you would call her on Mother's Day, I started to cry. It was at that point that I realized something. You were much more than a ridiculously goofy guy with a beard not seen since the time of the Vikings. You were someone's son, boyfriend and best friend. Every testimony I have seen since your death, whether it be from Johnny Knoxville or from Steve-O, has always mentioned that you were a genuinely great person and an amazing friend. Even though you are gone, these qualities will always live in on your friends and family, who have made it obvious that the saying only the good die young is completely true.
To end this letter, I would like to thank you, Ryan, for a few things. Thank you for putting a smile on my face whenever I needed it. Thank you for showing men around the world what a real beard looked like. Thank you for being the only one to pull Bam out of the snake pit. Thank you for setting a great example for others by demonstrating nothing but love for your friends and family. Finally, I would like to thank you for leaving us with an important lesson: drinking and driving is not a joke.
Some of us may have never lost a family member or a close friend to drinking and driving. Until June 20th, I was one of those people. However, with the death of you and your friend Zachary Hartwell, I feel like all those MAAD presentations have hit home. If it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone.
Thank you, Ryan Dunn, for living and thank you for showing everyone that it is all too easy to die. May you and Zachary rest in peace. We love you.
I never knew you personally. We never exchanged a word, nor did I ever see you beyond the extent of my television screen. I was only one of the millions of teenagers who grew up on Jackass and Viva La Bam and the CKY crew, spending countless afternoons laughing at the ridiculous antics of you and your friends. I was just one person who knew that she could always count on you to make her laugh, no matter how badly the day had gone. When my last month of high school went to hell, I popped Jackass 3D in and proceeded to laugh hysterically, able to forget for awhile.
When I first heard that you had died, I couldn't believe it. I laughed it off, remembering the various fake death rumors that had gone around about all the other celebrities I knew about. You couldn't be dead; you just couldn't be.
You were. After all the crazy stunts you had pulled, after wrangling a anaconda in a ball pit and being launched out of a cannon into a lake, you had died in a car accident.
I didn't cry until I watched an interview with Bam's parents, April and Phil. When April spoke about how you would call her on Mother's Day, I started to cry. It was at that point that I realized something. You were much more than a ridiculously goofy guy with a beard not seen since the time of the Vikings. You were someone's son, boyfriend and best friend. Every testimony I have seen since your death, whether it be from Johnny Knoxville or from Steve-O, has always mentioned that you were a genuinely great person and an amazing friend. Even though you are gone, these qualities will always live in on your friends and family, who have made it obvious that the saying only the good die young is completely true.
To end this letter, I would like to thank you, Ryan, for a few things. Thank you for putting a smile on my face whenever I needed it. Thank you for showing men around the world what a real beard looked like. Thank you for being the only one to pull Bam out of the snake pit. Thank you for setting a great example for others by demonstrating nothing but love for your friends and family. Finally, I would like to thank you for leaving us with an important lesson: drinking and driving is not a joke.
Some of us may have never lost a family member or a close friend to drinking and driving. Until June 20th, I was one of those people. However, with the death of you and your friend Zachary Hartwell, I feel like all those MAAD presentations have hit home. If it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone.
Thank you, Ryan Dunn, for living and thank you for showing everyone that it is all too easy to die. May you and Zachary rest in peace. We love you.
♠ ♠ ♠
<3I'm crying now. This was emotional, to say the least. RIP Ryan Dunn.