Hey Chris, it’s Joe (well, obviously). I wanted to share a couple things with you. They are all good things, so don’t worry.

I never told you that you were the first person to make me feel at home at ustwo. Yup, it was you. You weren’t in my interview, but I liked it a lot because the format recognized the many sides of me. Games, tech, narrative, interaction, etc. I felt seen.

When I showed up the first day many people were like “oh, you’re the new dev?” or “oh cool, you’re gonna be a freelance dev right?” *sad trombone sound* I felt a bit deflated. Not that I needed anything special, but I advertise myself as more to be seen as more.

When you came in that day you were the first person to say you were excited for me to be there. “You have games experience and we’re excited to hear what you think“. I lit up.

You made me feel welcome. Thanks you for that. Actually, now that I think of it that’s probably why I’ve always kept a strong ear when you’ve spoken because that moment showed me you make an effort to recognize people. I also wanna thank you for doing that work. Because the world exists in a way where some of us aren’t as recognized, and it’s made easier for some to be occupied with other things.

One time you were talking about your dad and you said he was making a comment like “Us Marotta’s, we’re always good to everyone”.

And I remember thinking “I gotta meet his dad one day. He sounds cool!“

You also always encouraged people to be open and speak during stand up. You encouraged others to share and you then yourself did the labor yourself and shared openly. I respected that each time you did it. A lot.

Covid, “we all do dumb stuff, chris is right. don’t be scared“

and this isn’t to save ustwo, but if this is true don’t lose your heart.. because it meant a lot to at leasst one person and you gave me a memory i’ll old for life.

because in a good man showing his intention it went from you and was recognized by someone else, me, who hopes they are a good man as well. if this is right, thank your father for me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the root of why we do certain things as humans and where it began. Because I do not think we’re much different at all than several thousand years ago. I’ve been thinking about why we put cards on the table. This is the conclusion I came to.

It’s lonesome being cognitive beings. We’re these walking universes of thoughts exploding in our heads constantly. even in our rest. And it’s painful not to share intention because intensions are 50 percent of our beauty. Intensions are us.

We think therefore we are therefore we do therefore we are therefore we think.

But then i realized something. a sign of guilt is the sign of a universe that is still good. in peril, but still good. and in that, beautifully human. just like the screenshots with nic. i don’t fear that. because i guess it’s that too right? it’s power. when you accept who you are, there a power in that.

don’t let them make you weak. we must be weak (vulnerable) to be strong. thank you for showing me love chris marotta. and thank you for making me better.

btw, tell your dad he raised a good kid.

It’s an exchange. To show realness and to be recognized. To show intention and to show what’s in one’s heart. To show where things are rooted, or where things began. And ultimately because we don’t know what lies in those other universes— and that can be scary. Because a universe is vast and dark and can be all consuming. It can harm, in ways it takes much less effort than in the physical.

So I guess it comes from letting someone know, “my universe is safe and means you no harm“. And I suppose our ancestors came up with that because of stories and fears of people who had harm waiting deep in their universe, covered with a smile. And I think from that we can infer that laying cards on the table is an act of recognition, protection, care, and love.

So lemme lay my cards on this table.