have I got a story for you…
This past week I’ve had the privileged of visiting my Grandparents in North Carolina as well as my Dad’s brothers and their families down in South Carolina. If there’s one thing we all have in common (other than being family) it’s that we all have stories.
Whether they’re well told in great suspense and laughter, or whether the punch line is given too soon it became apparent to me that the people in my life (well, and everyone for that matter) have some incredible stories to tell. Stories of strength, honor, laughter, humility, vacation goof ups… the list goes on and on.
My Great Granny (my dad’s Grandmother on his dad’s side) wrote in her journal every day for years. I’m talking every, single, day y’all. She documented everything from how many pints of pickles she canned in the smokehouse to processing her grief after her husband died.
My dad’s younger brother’s family now has her journals and diaries. Years and years of stories and every day encounters. And it got me thinking… what are people going to read about me when I’m gone? Will whatever legacy I leave behind be passed down to my great grandchildren? They’ll probably get some microchip from the Library of Congress that contains every blog, tweet, Facebook update (and whatever else comes along in years to come) that I’ve ever written. So there’s that I suppose. I digress.
Let me get to the point: everyone has a story to tell. And the cool thing is it’s YOURS. It’s your very own. It’s something that you can pass down from generation to generation, or write online about, or write a short story about, or make a movie about.
How are you telling your story?
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Tomorrow I leave for Arlington, VA for another Inside|Out workshop. Inside|Out workshops empower students from many different histories to tell their stories to the world through film. We have filmmakers from literally all over the world come in and teach students every aspect of the filmmaking process.
Through a week-long film workshop, students learn how to tell their story through film and showcase their 5 minute short film at a red carpet premiere at the end of the week. It’s amazing to see students “come alive” when they get in and create through film.
Inside|Out is the same workshop that took me over to New Zealand almost one year ago. It was a time that turned my world upside down. I’ll do what I can blog about my experiences this year as I go through the workshop again.
For more information about Inside|Out and how to get involved click here.
