I absolutely love the opportunity to step outside my box and explore….Just do something different for the sake of doing something different. Often times it takes someone to help me get there, and for this little exploration, I have Malka to thank. You rock!
I just can’t get over the feeling I had while listening to the acceptance speech of President Obama…..It seems that every generation gets enjoy such a moment, and I truly feel that last night was ours. I can’t imagine anyone, no matter their political affiliation, not feeling inspired. What’s really cool, is listening to the BBC today, and hearing the level of excitement around the world….It’s wonderful. If not for the results of measure 8 in California, it would have been the perfect night!
All I can say, is I have a new found respect for people who blog videos of themselves. Okay, it was just day one, and I should get the hang of it soon…..
Not sure we will have internet access again, but will try to update along the way!
This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to participate in something, I hope will forever influence my life. Portland’s Project Homeless Connect had their family event at the convention center, in which hundreds of volunteers gather to offer help and services to homeless individuals and families. It was incredibly moving to be part of, and to witness a room filled with more than a thousand sharing generosity and appreciation. Please take the time to explore the link above, and find out how you can take part in upcoming events. You have an opportunity to directly impact thousands of lives…..You can’t ask for more than that.
Growing up in Portland, I’ve seen hundreds of homeless people in my life. I would often offer up a buck or two, if I had it handy. It was always a quick exchange….Painless and emotionless, it gave me a brief moment of satisfaction in doing something, then I was on my way. The homeless I met on the streets seemed so far removed from my life….It was similar to viewing one of the “save The Children” commercials on tv. I pause and watch for a moment, but it’s so far away….Even when it’s standing a foot in front of you, it seems so far away. It helped that they didn’t look like me, they had dirty clothes, some were drunk, some seemed to be mentally ill……It was the face I put on homelessness; the face that maintained the distance and gave me comfort.
On Tuesday I saw the true face of homelessness, which is every face you can imagine. They looked like me, like my uncle or aunt, my cousin, my friend. I discovered that there is no distance, and once you remove “the face” of homelessness, you discover a person who simply needs a little help.
For one day, I met a couple hundred people, who happen to be homeless. In the couple of minutes they spent in front of my camera, it was just another person working it….Some were a little goofy, some went heavy on the attitude. while others simply shared their love for each other. It was awesome. We all had fun.
As I look through the photos, and look at the faces, I can only imagine what it would mean to have that captured moment, become their reality. To remove the homeless equation from their lives, so there is one less thing making their lives difficult. To make it a little easier to laugh, love and live. The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to bring an end to homelessness. Before Tuesday, I couldn’t imagine that being a possibility……Now, I can honestly say, I can’t imagine it not.
Here are a few of the people I met, but you can find them all in the link below. Enjoy and be inspired.
Click Here to View The Gallery
Now, get inspired and do something about it!
To better understand the issues and the goals, please take the time to watch this video…..
It’s Sunday night, and my eyes are ready to fall out of my head. I dedicated this weekend to updating my site, both in design and content. Well, when you have no web design/code skills, it takes a while, but I love the challenge of figuring out how it all works. The biggest challenge, is know when you’re finished. I didn’t know where I was going with it, so had no idea when I arrived….hmmm, kind of like my life. You arrive at a point where you’re excited, it’s looking great, so you sit back and just enjoy. 15 minutes later you notice something that could be tweaked a bit, so you start messing with it, and then suddenly you’re moving in an entirely new direction. At some point, you just have to stop, and let it be….if only for a few days, weeks, whatever. So that’s where I am with it. Well, at least for the design side.
It is officially time to work on content, so be sure to check back soon. Right now, I have about 30 weddings from this past year which have not made it to the site. Well, I vow to change that in the next week. The other thing I discovered is the need to fill the “create” section with new work….meaning I need to still create the work to fill it with. I really need people who are open to playing, who need no guarantees of results, and love to be in front of the camera….well, you don’t need to love being in front of the camera, but when we finish, you certainly will.
So, taking a break from the web site today, I went to explore a house with Sarah. I ended up loving the cellar the most….
