Yo, y’all. Bit of a lengthy one here, but it’ll make sense why if ya have a read. I’m Mesyn… aka NexHep, Stratus, or simply Leon. I’m from the Dallas metro, & currently trying to find my way out to non-barren realms.

I’m a big weather buff, & have been since 2000. In fact, my first memory in life, period, was the Mayfest Storm of 1995, which was at the time the most damaging hailstorm in human history. I’ve been a trained storm spotter for many years and simply love the beauty of weather systems & the science itself. I’ve made tracking storms & diving deep as only a human weather dude can my business.

My first hobby, though, was horticulture. In particular, the growing of vegetables, fruit, & herbs. It’s keeping track of growing seasons and conditions that led me into meteorology, in fact. Gotta know the basics of weather & climate for growing things, of course. Love to help “produce produce” & overall beauty from botany.

I also have a passion for what I call “civilization things”. This includes, but is not limited to urban design & planning, civics/politics, technology, futures studies, & human mobility (in particular mass-transit systems and bikes). I’m big on BMX & gaming (PC, tabletop, retro, & mobile).

Last but certainly not least, I’m a proud & fierce advocate/activist/consultant for mental health/disability awareness, anti-racism/anti-bigotry, inclusiveness, & the Positive old-school, pro-social values that we’ve mostly lost nowadays (Fahrenheit 451 was meant as a warning, not an instruction manual!). This ain’t just a fluke, but principles I hold from genuine life experience. In fact, my life’s work is tryna cobble together an “oasis” from the negativity! After all, who better to be an advocate/activist/consultant than someone who truly “knows the battlefield”?

Indeed, I showed up here not just because I love Jackbox games/FiveM/meteorology/BMX/whatever common interest brought me here, but because I’m ultimately chasing the remote hope I’ll find more of the understanding, acceptance, humanity… the ‘family’ I so need in life (as any human does). I entered this world on July 18, 1992 alive… albeit with congenital Bell’s palsy, a moderate intellectual disability, & Level 2 autism.

On top of that, that Bowling for Soup song “High School Never Ends” is reality. Throughout childhood & continuing through my adulthood, it’s been about being a true outcast and misfit. Being “invisible”, struggling to find acceptance or understanding, being bullied & abused (yes, including in our mutual field). Only rarely finding any human that also sees *me* as a human. And through it all, trying to find those “basics” – a solid web of acceptance, understanding, patience, mutual support… in short, human bonds – that are key to life being a matter of “living” rather’n mere “existence” (we can’t prosper alone!)

Through all the trials & tribulations… through being “r-worded”, hate-crimed many times (one of which gave me what’s now a part-metal left arm), left out, abandoned, doing time, unsheltered, direly misunderstood/expected to be ‘normal’ & beyond… I somehow by what is simply & stoutly the Grace of God am still here (faith is indeed the common thread running through why I’m still here!), seeking the filling of voids, humanity, healing (needless to say, this mess breaks ya & only human warmth puts ya back together)… life.

There’s a faux-“inspirational” trope that one should “not ‘let'” such things “define oneself”, but the facts remain the facts & ignoring reality for rose-colored glasses ain’t productive. Yes, it’s bad to dwell in sadness like Eeyore, but that’s not what it’s about anyway – it’s about being aware of what’s up, & letting those like me fill unique roles in society. Problems & challenges don’t go away by being ignored, but by being constructively addressed (hence why I lay everything out from the get go & see if whoever I’m around’s cool/accepting… or not).

It also implies there’s something “wrong” with me & folks like me, which ain’t the case at all. We’re merely “different”. In fact, the perspective I have has enabled me to see things those more ‘normal’ can’t. We’re here for a reason, & it sure seems like unique perspectives for the betterment of us all is part of it.

I hope I’ll find some of the aforementioned belonging & ‘family’ here. Understanding of where I come from… for example, the exhaustion & feeling of “about to explode from tension” from tryna be as close to ‘normal’ as possible for people who aren’t used to being accepting of the “different”. It’s like a highest-stakes, highest-difficulty game of “Fakin’ It”. Words can’t truly descibe how hard it is to “fake” being “normal”/”normal-ish”… and I shouldn’t have to do so anyway.

Yeah, I’m “different” & need a “different approach” (extra patience [I’m very prone with faux-pas/effing up], being super direct, being built up/hearing the positive feedback I so need in life, that ‘pat on the back’ upon non-ideal outcomes while hanging out, reassurances that ribbing/games is truly just a joke & not reflective of me having lesser value… etc) but that doesn’t mean I’m “subhuman”, or an object of pity/charity. I’m not a charity case. I just needa be a true “one of the squad”, just with a different approach & as I **am**. Think of it like a ramp instead of stairs. 🙂

Ain’t no hiding it, & ain’t no need to (any more than hiding any other immutable characteristic for the comfort of “normal” folks). I wanna thrive, put my skills to work, & build… but that all requires having enough Positive – real homies, real ‘squad’, real fam – to outweigh the negativity of ostracism, bullying, etc. I wanna give a hoot about y’all, & I hope y’all see it fit to do the same for me – the mutual acknowledgement of value that is the basis for bonding. I hope I indeed have a place here.

General information~

Favorite dishes: Catfish (or cod/other mild fish); fried chicken; Papa Murphy’s “Chicago” pizza; Cheetos pasta; ramen-based “spreads”; glazed donuts; “wedge”/”steak” fries. But ooh man do I keep an open mind (within reason). I don’t eat shellfish and I try to minimize pork consumption as I’m at risk for gout.

Music: R&B, soul, jazz, disco, doo-wop, some hip-hop/rap, light rock, classic country… but my absolute favorite is most anything chiptune/video-gamey. My overall standard is that it’s gotta be classy or shallow, & can’t sound like a torture dungeon would sound (looking at you, death metal). I keep an open mind.

Games: In general it’s RPGs, action-adventure, party, simulation, sandbox, and some board/card games, as well. I dabble in other genres, as well. To name some favorites in particular: FiveM, Jackbox, Rise of Nations, Minecraft, Spyro, Mabinogi, Tony Hawk’s/THUGPro, Fallout, Truck Simulator (both), Chrono series, Scattergories. I also love most game shows and am a big fan of playing “mock” versions.

TV/”TV”: game shows & sitcoms (especially the classics); educational/documentary; comedy. I watch a ton of YouTube & Twitch (obviously). Not too big on dramas, “reality”, or other such fare (with some exceptions).

Movies: I very rarely watch movies. Maybe like 2 a year. I do have some favorites, though: Idiocracy, Flight of the Navigator, Airplane!, City of Ember, and a few others.