Surviving Survivor

To preface this, don’t expect much on a grammatical, profound essay. I’m Jelinsky, y’all know better. I write like I’m texting my best friend. I hope you enjoy!

Kevin asked me if I wanted to participate in The Confessional, and I immediately agreed. I had been bouncing around in my head on a theme, but after reading Teeny’s writing I thought of something. 

Surviving after Survivor.

Everybody thinks they’re going to win Survivor. If you don’t, you should not be applying for the show. What I didn’t realize before playing the show was that the real surviving actually begins after the show starts airing.

Obviously I was voted out on day 3, so I didn’t do much surviving on the island. But I feel like I’ve survived a battle just as tough afterward, and I’m sure many fellow castaways can agree. 

It’s routine that after your episode of survivor airs, you do press the following morning.

I remember after I got voted out, I was so excited to talk about my journey out on the island. Being able to talk through some of my decisions, as well as the quitter narrative that was being pushed onto me.

What I wasn’t expecting was the millions of people telling me how my Survivor experience actually went.

“Jelinsky is a quitter.”

“If he thinks Q quit the sweat task, he really is delusional.”

“Legend in his own mind.”

I’m sure there are some people reading this right now that are thinking that.

I quickly learned that I can’t defend myself to over a million people and have them all agree with me.

There is so much that happens out on the island that doesn’t make the edit, only you really know what happened to you; and even then, you still don’t know everything.

As much as I would love to take ownership of being a quitter, and according to Survivor Wiki, “giving up at the slightest sign of resistance…” That’s just not true.

It’s not true.

I can go on for hours about what was not shown on the episode and the strategy behind every decision I made, but that’s not the point of this message.

In fact, I don’t regret anything that happened out on the island. Maybe I am a quitter… maybe I am delusional, but that’s what makes me a legend! My presence was certainly strong, and trust me… there is a reason every tribe was in on the joke. Think about all of the Jelinsky moments that didn’t make the show… there are several for sure.

If there is one thing I’m certain of besides being a legend, is that I’m a walking contradiction.

But a nicer way to say that is I am a 3-dimensional human, just like everybody who plays the game. Everybody has a story, everybody has decisions they make daily, even you reading this right now!

A note to the Survivor 48 pre-jury, the rest of the cast, and all future players who come afterward, don’t let others morph your brain on what happened out there.

Only you know what happened out there, stick to it.

Surviving after Survivor is not easy.

I commend all of you that do it.

Even trusted media sources who make you look awful, comparing Bhanu, Jess, and myself to feces, the chaff being winnowed down from the strong, it’s what you sign up for.

Survivor doesn’t cast people who they don’t think can handle it!

This game really bonds people in a way you can never explain… trauma bonding is a common phrase describing it.

It also tears people apart.

And some people just never even talk to each other ever again.

I’m rambling now, this isn’t a thesis.

I’m honestly so grateful at how delusional I am, because self love is probably the most important trait you can possess when trying to Survive after Survivor.

The last note to my readers and future readers, your family is so important during all of this.

No one will love you like your family loves you. Thank them for all of the experiences they have given you, all of the lessons they have taught you, and all of the love they shower you with.

No matter what you do, whether you get a DUI, steal from the Gucci store, or embarrass yourself in front of millions, they will always love you no matter what.

They have to.

So after reading this long text message I just sent you, remember to love yourself, and love your family.

And don’t forget,

Long Live Jelinsky.

-Jelinsky

You know who Jelinsky is. No bio needed. Legend.

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