#26 Document it; record a year of my life.
It might seem like the cheap way to round out the list of achievements I had never before unlocked (like a Legend of Zelda game, natch,) but it isn't. Sure, we have pictures taken of us from the day of our birth and they continue throughout our lives, but that doesn't really equal out to documenting a year of your life. Through video, through pictures, and of course as you live and breath, these wonderful blogs.
I'd also like to point out right now before I go any further that if ANY of you think #26 would be a cinch or easy to pull off...
Fucking do it yourself, then come back and tell me how easy it was.
In many ways, this year was an absolute terror. A terror! Let me repeat that, underlined this time so you understand the gravitas of the situation: it was a terror. I think the original idea to "document" my life was a simple one in theory but the reality was that it was overly complicated. Especially during the summer, when I could never leave the house with just my phone and keys because the camera had to be firmly tucked in my pocket as well.
Oh, is someone doing something funny? I'll film it!
Hey, are we all doing pictures? Use my camera too!
Another Golden Thing crossed off the list? Better write a blog!
It was a year that came with a sense of duty and an odd sort of determination I didn't know I actually had in me. So many times in the past I had made New Year's resolutions that typically fell to the wayside within a month. I WILL say that in 2006 I vowed to take better care of my skin and that one stuck.
Obviously ::tosses hair::
In hindsight I wish I had kept a tally of every time someone saw me filming and rolled their eyes. Every time I started filming and got yelled at for doing so (it happened much more than you'd think.) Lots 'o people wanted NO part in this project, so that complicated things a bit. And it's fine, really, because if you want to be a boob about it then go right ahead. It got old to pull the camera out and start filming inconspicuously, only to have people pause what they were doing to smile. "I'm videoing you," I'd say, met with a then blank face and confusion.
I make it sound like it was an awful experience and I don't mean to, it was just a tedious one. There were several times when I would just lay the camera out on a table and say "Here's the camera, someone film things." And to their credit, my friends were fantastic about grabbing said camera and recording. I don't know if it was because they felt a sense of duty or because they were excited to be part of something I kept claiming was going to be a big deal; either way they helped a lot. You can only hold your arm out so many times recording yourself before it gets ridiculous and someone needs to do it for you.
In June, when I bought my iMac, that was when the page turned on this little "chore" I had assigned to myself. I bought it solely for iMovie, which is a fairly great program (though I have now learned of its flaws (note to self: documenting a year eats up a lot of memory (not my memory, the computer memory))) and super easy to use. Originally I thought the FINISHED product of this venture would be about five minutes long, maaaaaaaybe pushing toward 10 minutes. But those first couple days were an indicator of what would end up being something much larger than I anticipated.
With material only through mid-June, I had about 18 minutes of final footage. And it wasn't 18 minutes of crap, it was actually good and fun to watch. Fun to re-live, for me and for the few friends who were able to see it in such early stages. That was a big push on my back and as a result, propelled me forward. And if I was to be honest, the reason I reached #26 is because of you people.
I wouldn't have been able to achieve this if it weren't for the people in my life and the support they offered. Sometimes, like I said before, it was the fact that they would do the filming for me. At other times it was when they would simply remind me "Get your camera out," or "do you want me to film this?" It was a lending hand that at times I desperately needed and one I always accepted.
In the end this project wasn't just about me but it was about everyone else. When I finish cutting the video together and it has premiered, it is going to be available to anyone who wants it, for free. Either give me a blank DVD to burn it or give me the money to buy one for you. I don't want to make a profit off of it and I don't want to sell it, I just want to provide it. Because some of you were with me at the start of this adventure and you followed me all the way through it; I'll never forget that. And I'll never forget the 26 Golden Things.
And there you have it folks, the end of a list that at times seemed insurmountable and at others seemed like a walk through the park. It hasn't really sunken in that I achieved what I set out to do, but I did. It'll probably be a while before that fact hits me, at least until the video has been shown and everyone has walked away. But for now, stay tuned for my birthday, as THAT blog is going to be a doozy. And it wouldn't be me in true fashion if I wasn't trying to get ya'll to cry (c;
I'll end this "series" of blogs the way I started it, with a song that carried me through the year. Seeing the video for "Young Blood" by the Naked and Famous gave me the initial idea, and the lyrics to the song struck me right off the bat. Throughout the year they resonated every time I listened, and that is the precise reason this song kicks off the main video. The best lines are below the video, sorry if you have to follow the link to Youtube. Fuckin' Vevo. Enjoy, and I'll write again in a few more days.
Happy day of the apocalypse!
We're only young and naive still; we require certain skill.
The mood it changes like the wind, hard to control when it begins.
The bittersweet between my teeth, trying to find the in-between.
Fall back in love eventually.
Can't help myself but count the flaws; claw my way out through these walls.
One temporary escape, feel it start to permeate.
We lie beneath the stars at night, our hands gripping each other tight.
You keep my secrets, hope to die.
Promises, swear them to the sky.
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