heart of gold

April 19, 2021

Last Saturday night, I went out to to the local bar. I put on my brand new "be kind to your mind" strap for the first time and had my "heart of gold" daily on the other wrist. Probably the 2 favourite straps I own. It turned into a much bigger night than I expected. I ended up going back to a stranger's house with a group I'd only met that night. We were still sitting around outside talking and laughing by 9 or 10am the next morning. People slowly petered out until there was only the guy who lived there, me, and one other guy from the night before left. Then the conversation turned from light-hearted and fun, to very deep and serious. It turns out one of the guys there was homeless and had been sleeping in his car for most of the pandemic. He'd lost his job when we entered lockdown, wasn't eligible for benefits from the government, and couldn't afford rent. He was beating himself up over it, saying it was his fault he hadn't found a new job yet, and shared the fact that he'd attempted suicide a couple of months ago. The way he described himself as a failure was heartbreaking. The other guy that was there was almost in tears, he also suffered from chronic depression, and shared a story of the time he'd tried to end his life. At the end of his story, as he was saying "so I understand how hard it is bro, try not to beat yourself up because it's not your fault," he paused and said, "look, I can't have you living in your car throughout this, I don't have a spare room, but I've got a pull out couch and it's yours if you want it." I looked down at my wrists and realised I couldn't possibly have been wearing two more appropriate straps. "Heart of gold" and "be kind to your mind". I took the opportunity to tell them about Zox, and how they're my little positive reminders every day. They both loved the idea of them and said they wanted to get themselves one. I keep the cards of the ones I'm wearing in my wallet, in case I ever gift one unexpectedly. I turned to the guy who'd been living in his car and blaming himself for his situation, took off my Be kind to your mind strap and put it on his wrist. As I passed him the card with the quote "happiness starts with positive thoughts," he looked at me and just burst into tears. Then I turned to the guy who offered his couch as I was taking off my Heart of gold strap. He started trying to say he couldn't accept it, but I insisted, and as I slipped it onto his wrist he couldn't hold back the tears either. I gave him the card with the quote "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle" and told him that his act of generosity to a stranger shows just how good of a human being he is. They both got up and hugged me while they told me how thankful they were, which set me off as well. So there we were. Three grown men who'd only met the night before, hugging and crying at 11am on a Sunday morning, after sharing some of the most personal and emotional experiences of our lives. Certainly not how I thought it'd end up when I went out the night before. Sharing the story of Zox with them, seeing the the look on their faces, and having them cry tears of joy as I gifted them the straps off my wrists was honestly one of the most fulfilling, wholesome, and emotionally rewarding experiences I've had in a long time. I've always appreciated Zox for being a positive reminder for me every day, but this made me appreciate Zox as a whole, for giving me the opportunity to share it with a few newfound friends that both need and deserve that positive reminder in their lives. So thank you Jason, Brandon, and Jordan, from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't have had this beautiful experience if it wasn't for you. You guys should be so proud of the company, and resulting community of love, positivity, empowerment, and support that you've built over the years. Trust me, you're making people smile, you're doing the right thing. Anyway! Much love from here in Australia to the entire Zox family. From the Bros, to people in the office, the people who pack and post, and everyone inbetween. I hope everyone's staying as happy and healthy as they can in these messed up times, look after yourself and one another.