Often times in a situation like this, you are thrust into someone's life at one of its turning points. Think of a family where a soldier has been killed overseas, school walkouts, union strikes, major legislation, elections, traffic accidents, etc, etc, etc.
Sometimes when you start asking personal questions to people who are in a state of emotional flux, a certain bond forms between you - and they start sharing things they might not ordinarily share with a stranger. Life story kind of things. Deep dark secret kind of things. Really, really amazing things.
Sometimes those things are much more interesting than the story you're covering. (It's just that they're not newsworthy.)
I always wanted to do a series on the story behind the people we meet every day - but the pitch never got picked up. When we got the grant for Connect, I decided I'd work it in - and so I did.
This past weekend, myself and intern Kami set up a booth at the Linda Vista Multicultural Fair and asked people to tell their stories. People of all backgrounds, all colors, old and young, even a few who didn't speak a language we spoke!
My biggest fear was that we'd come home empty handed. That we'd set up all the gear, spend all the time, the effort, the resources... and we'd hear a bunch of empty stories.
No way. Everyone delivered. From the first body in the chair to the last, we heard incredible stories all day long. Escapes from concentration camps. Escapes from segregation. Lost loves. Lost wars. Dares taken and won. Dares taken and lost. Greatest fears. Native foods. Dangerous journeys.
At the end of the day, the man sweeping trash up in the street asked what we were doing, and I told him. He asked if we'd interview him. So I did. He had a pretty good love story. (We'll feature it here in weeks to come!) At the end of the interview, I asked him his passion. He thought about it, in silence. I just let the silence sit. He looked at me, and he told me that his passion was shining shoes.
I'm going to admit to you that I was immediately disappointed. It's not what I was hoping to hear. But not one to give up so easily, I asked him why. I mean... why on earth could your passion be shining shoes?
"Well... I guess 'cause I get to do what you do. I meet lots of different people every day, and I hear their stories. And when they walk away... they got great lookin' shoes!"
If the video biz doesn't pay out for me... maybe I'll go into shining shoes.
Stay tuned on this blog and the Connect San Diego page in the days and weeks to come, to hear stories of Linda Vista from this project!
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