My name is Sami and I am the videographer for Paddle Forward.
Fear.
This is what you need to know first: I am frequently afraid. But there’s more. Because I’m also frequently brave.
We all are. We have to be brave because we are all taught and encouraged to be afraid. We live in a society that promotes and profits from fear. Some of us are more entrenched, and more targeted, than others, but we all live in this culture of fear. To survive and thrive, cultures of fear must teach children fears. Fears of strangers, fears of crowds, fears of cities and suburbs, fears of peers and teachers, fears of faces, genders, and darkness. But how many of these fears are rational? How many keep us safe? And from what?
I couldn’t possibly trace all the origins of my courage. Much comes from my family, much from my friends, some even from my cat. But there is one fear, however, that I can distinctly remember choosing to battle: a fear of nature. Such a strange fear, such a strange statement, as if I am not natural, but this is not an uncommon message. Many people are indoctrinated with this dichotomy: indoors or outdoors, rural or urban, wild or tame.
I chose to fight this fear out of necessity. I was at camp and I was miserable. I was scared of the bugs, the owls, the dirt, the rain, the grass, the space, the smells, everything. And I realized, with quite a bit of help, that I was in control of that discomfort. I didn’t need to be afraid. It was a choice, but a choice I’d have never gotten to make if I hadn’t found myself on a camping trip in a downpour in the southern Appalachians.
Almost 15 years later and I’m still afraid of many things. But I refuse to be frightened into submission. I refuse to be bullied. I have made a habit of fighting back. And of encouraging others, particularly children, to fight back too. Eventually, I led the camping trips and when, in the middle of a storm, a child came to me with so much fear, I tried to take that fear gently from his or her hands and replace it with a choice.
So...What does this have to do with Paddling the Mississippi River?
Well, the trip itself is a rejection of fear. But it is my goal is to take a personal rejection and create a public renouncement.
As we travel downstream, we will be filming. Everything! But in particular, we will be stopping to interview basically anyone we meet along the river about the river. We will talk to the interviewees about the history of the Mighty Mississippi, the legends and the lore. We will talk about the river as a resource then and a resource now, for commerce, irrigation, transportation, sanitation. We will talk about the impact of industry and agriculture and how our current needs will affect future river communities. We will talk about weather and fishing and politics and food. The point is: we will talk.
The best way to dispel fear is to talk about it.
And these are conversations worth having. There are hundreds of thousands of people worth listening to. Everyone, in fact. And though this documentary will cover only a small subset of the populations reliant upon the Mississippi River, it is a start. A beginning. A moment that we can look back on and say, yes, that was the moment that I listened and in that moment, no one was afraid.
What We Need
So the breakdown is pretty simple. First and foremost, I need to eat. I’m asking $720 for all of my food expenses.
Food for one day: |
$9 |
Food for one week: |
$63 |
Food for one month: |
$279 |
Food for the whole trip: |
$720 |
While it would be nice if there were no other expenses, there are. Both myself and my canoe need to come back to Minneapolis in one piece. The breakdown is as such:
Ship a canoe to Minneapolis |
$130 |
Pay for one person to travel back to the Twin Cities |
$150 |
Total Trip Cost: $1,000
What You Get
$25 – A HUGE hug and a postcard from somewhere along the river. My standard hug is pretty big, so just be prepared. Also lots of karma points.
$50 – A shout-out to you or your organization on our Twitter and Facebook with a picture of me featuring your name or company. Plus a HUGE hug and a postcard from somewhere along the river. And a canoe-full of karma points.
$100 – Your name will be featured in the credits of our documentary. This could be your big break! Plus A HUGE hug, a postcard, and a photo shout-out, and a multitude of karma points.
$250 – A Paddle For Change t-shirt. Who doesn't love a good t-shirt?? Plus A GIGANTIC hug, a postcard, your name featured in the credits of our documentary, and a photo shout-out. And feel free to give yourself pats on the back at any time.
$500 - A copy of our finished documentary! Show it to your friends! Plus a Paddle For Change t-shirt, your name in the credits of our documentary, a photo shout-out, a postcard, a hug, and as many karma points as I can summon from the universe.
$1,000 – A copy of the finished documentary, a photo shout-out, a Paddle For Change t-shirt, your name in the credits of our documentary, a postcard, THE BIGGEST hug, and my eternal gratitude. And I will wish happy things for you for all of my birthday wishes from here on out.
The Impact
Feel free to explain more about your campaign and let people know how the difference their contribution will make:
- Explain why your project is valuable to the contributor and to the world.
- Point out your successful track record with projects like this (if you have one).
- Make it real for people and build trust.
Other Ways You Can Help
You might not be able to contribute monetarily, but that doesn’t mean you can't help. Please spread the word about our campaign by sharing this page on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social platform you prefer. Also, if you are a teacher or know of a classroom that would be interested in following us on our journey and tuning in to video chats with us, let us know!!
Send me a message if you think you have connections or information that may be helpful for us. Though our group has a great deal of paddling experience, we cannot do this without community support. We welcome your insight.
http://paddle4ward.com/
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