Thursday, November 3, 2011

My "It Gets Better" Video

After several readers encouraged me to make an "It Gets Better" video, I "fired up the Mac" (as Jeanette puts it) and came up with this.

Can I just say putting together one of these damn things by yourself--especially if it's a new experience and not just a thirty second bit--is bloody difficult.  As much as I would have liked to make it continuous, that was nearly impossible, given the number of times I lost my train of thought and ended up uttering gibberish.

So, instead, I put it together piecemeal, recording clips over three days.  Some segments took twenty or more takes until I got over my nerves, stopped stuttering, and figured out what to say.  But I think, for my first effort, it turned out all right.  I don't mind the roughness of it, and, most importantly, I managed to get across the message I wanted to.

I haven't uploaded it to YouTube yet.  




9 comments:

  1. Hi Rick... pretty good for being the first stab at it. The only thing I would add to "it gets better" is this: Good things take time.

    But time is a fickle thing, don't you think? For the younger generation time can't pass by fast enough. I remember school summer holdiays seemed to last forever. And when we're older the years and decades zip by and we wonder where it all went.

    Young people who are bullied need to find the patience to see it through to the point where "it gets better." That can be a huge challenge at a young age.

    Brock Tully once said "It is better to be seen for who you are, and be alone, than to be accepted for someone you're not, and be lonely." I've never forgotten that.


    Alison in Victoria

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  2. Your message is clear and strong. When more people will know this blog exists, then the more people you can influence with your thoughts.

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  3. @Alison: I think the fact that it gets better in time is implied, both in the "It Gets Better" Project as a whole and in what I say in the video.

    Since the Project is over a year old by now, I assume many bullied gay and lesbian teens are familiar with it and have viewed many of the videos (there are literally thousands of them). All I tried to do with my video is show there are small but important steps they can take now to counter some of the awful effects of bullying before they leave school.

    Thanks for your comment and suggestion. And thanks for sharing the piece by Brock Tully. It's beautifully stated. I sure remember him from when I grew up in Kelowna. Did you know he's still with us and an inspirational speaker? I just Googled him. Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing?

    @Elevencats: I appreciate your comment and kind words.

    The fact I've been able to support you and others in some respects helps me feel confident I can do the same for more people. I just hope they're open to it. I wouldn't mind at all if our community here grew larger, and if I was genuinely able to make a positive difference.

    Thanks again.

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  4. Good job Rick! Let us know when you post it.

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  5. Thanks for your encouraging words, Jeanette. I really appreciate it.
    I'll be sure to let you know when I post the video on YouTube.

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  6. Great job, Rick! So glad you made one, and really good suggestion with the journal, it's SO helpful to write things down, or even just to vent on paper instead of at random people. I hope this leads more people to your blog, you've got quite a body of work for newcomers to read through. Congrats!

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  7. Good job Rick. I'm glad you finally made this.


    Donald

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  8. YAY!!! Oh, Rick, I am SO happy for you and proud of you for making this video. It is great to "see" you talking to us and sharing your life with us. Thank you for taking this vulnerable step.

    You ARE worthy. You ARE valuable. You ARE loved. And your life and your blog DO make a difference - to so many, gay and straight alike.

    Thank you for your continuous willingness to share your heart and life with us. This world is a better place because of it.

    Love, Donna

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  9. @Sarah: Thanks for confirming what a great idea keeping a journal is. I honestly don't know where I'd be today without it.

    And I have to tell you how much I appreciate your comment about the body of work I've accumulated on my blog. Sometimes, I don't realize just how much until I go looking for something. Then, I see how long I've been at this, and how much of myself I've revealed over time. Scary. I can only hope something here makes a difference in the lives of readers.

    @Anonymous (Donald): Thanks for your kind and encouraging words. I'm glad I made the video, too. It's not a slick Hollywood production by any means, but it gets across what's most important to me and offers suggestions I believe will really help (especially in situations that truly make one feel helpless).

    @Donna: So good to hear from you. It's a new experience for me presenting myself on video. How easy it's been to hide behind my written words all these months (and years). But a new option is now open to me in terms of getting my message out there.

    Your kind words are so sweet and make me feel so good about myself and my work here. Thank you for sharing them. I really appreciate it.

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