As an aspiring rapper, 22-year old Spencer Sleyon has likely been involved in many rap battles.
But the young New York resident has reached viral fame thanks to a different kind of battle:
The one he has engaged in often via Words with Friends… with an 81-year old named Rosalind Guttman.
The latter is a resident of Florida and the Internet is going bat $hit bananas over Spencer and Rosalind finally meeting face-to-face, following over 300 installments of their online Words with Friends contests.
Ready to get to know the people at the center of this most unlikely of friendships?
Scroll down to learn their inspiring story…
Say Hi to Roz and Spencer
The 22-year oldand 81-year old started talking in earnest after Roz used the word “Phat” while playing Words with Friends, which is essentially the same as Scrabble and which enables one to do battle against folks one knows… or against total strangers.
A Phat Friendship
“I was like, yo, how do you know that word?” Sleyon asked Roz, making the first real contact between the pair outside of the game. They soon got to talking often, while continuing to go at it on Words with Friends.
How Many Times Have They Played?
Over 300, Spencer estimates. That’s about once every other day, starting from last summer up through this late fall.
Who’s Winning Overall?
It’s sort of close, but Spencer does want the world to know he’s put in front at the moment. Look at those stats, though!
After All This Time…
…. Spencer and Roz have finally met! The former touched down in Florida and, as you can see above, gave a giant hug to his online pal.
How Did This Happen?
The meeting was up by a pastor in Manhattan who knew Spencer and learned of his unexpected friendship with Roz. “I’m all for just experiencing stuff, I was like ‘yeah,'” Sleyon said when asked if he wanted to meet Roz. “I love random occurrences, I thought it was cool I was able to befriend her.”
Look at Thhat Excitement!
Sleyon said the two discussed everything from Words With Friends (he didn’t realize how competitive she felt about their games, LOL) to the sitcom “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (she said Larry David uses too many curse words this season, also worthy of a LOL).
The Friendship Has Gone Viral
Even the creators of Words with Friends have learned about it. And they are obviously huge fans.
The Internet Isn’t ALL Bad, We Guess
Sort of nice to be reminded of that on occasion, you know?
Spencer Was Only Too Proud to Share This Story
And he received some inspiring replies after he did so…
Like From This Person
Wow. Another Words with Friends connection was formed. This is actually really moving.
More Positive Stories Please, World Wide Web
Especially now. We could really use stories liks this now.
Tell ‘Em, Snoop
Exactly. This is exactly how we feel right now.