September 6, 2009


Each day gets better and better.  The random/funny moments are starting to pile up, the five of us are already a baby family and the interviews and footage are truly amazing.  

My last blog ended as we made our way into Walla Walla, Washington.  What a wonderful stop that was.  My mom is from Walla Walla so I have grown up going there every summer.  It truly defines Americana.  
  
The night we arrived, we made a stop at my personal favorite, The IceBerg.  If you think In n' Out is good--well, you have no idea. The magic that IS an IceBerg burger is something I cannot even explain.  It's heaven in a bun.  

After we stuffed our faces a bit, we headed over to my grandmothers house.  The moment we walked in, I was overwhelmed with the smell of freshly baked cookies. Although I was stuffed to an unhealthy degree, I couldn't resist one...two...well, let's be real...3 cookies.  That night we headed over to the Southeast county fair where we rode rides, played carnival games, and found out that Chris (our cinematographer, a.k.a. the goat whisperer) can hypnotize farm animals. 

  
The next morning was awesomeee!!!!!  Kind Campaign was officially in the Walla Walla Pioneer Parade! Molly and I walked, rather, ran back and forth across Main St. as Tetia drove the Kind Campaign van behind us (adorned with pink balloons :) )  We passed out wristbands and postcards to as many females as we could without passing out from sprinting from on
e side of the street to the other. Despite the workout, it was SO fun!  The footage should be pretty funny too-- Chris and my mom were running back and forth with the cameras.  pretty comical. People were SO excited about the film and the message.  Kind Campaign was featured on the front cover of their newspaper the day before, so a lot of people knew what it was all about!  The announcer at the parade informed everyone that we would be at the local park right after the parade for interviews.  Which leads me into the most monumental moment for me thus far...
Neither of us knew if anyone would actually show up to the park.  We ended up shooting a few interviews and got some really good perspectives.  However, it was when I sat down with Lori that I was rocked to my core.  I walked up to her and sat down at a park bench and immediately we started talking.  Within the first two minutes of talking, I knew I was in for something heavy.  But even those initial thoughts did not prepare me for the hour long conversation I was about to have.  I wont go into detail about her experiences, but I will say this particular person has experienced a series of some of the most traumatic things I have ever heard.  As hard as it was for me to sit there and listen to all of these horrific happens in her life, the hardest part of the conversation was when she finally broke down in tears.  No, it wasn't when she talked about the physical, sexual or mental abuse she has consistently dealt with throughout her life.  It was when she confessed to me, "all I want is a good friend,"  after informing me that at her lowest point in life, her best girl friend turned on her. It was within that simple comment that Lori's walls broke down.  I don't know what you think, but for me, that moment was pretty revealing of the importance of true friendship.  At least when you have someone you can turn to, the traumas within your life can be talked through and you can feel a sense of support.  Without at least that, you are left with nothing but a broken heart. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be good to your friends.  Lori changed the scope of this project for me.  Yes, its still about girls.  However, the importance of friendship for males and females is something that everyone should be reminded of on a daily basis.  Careabout the people that care about you.  

After the interview, Lori informed me that she felt really good about sharing her story.  The fact that being a part of this film gave her a sense of healing and relief fills me with such joy and reminds me that this is a good thing happening. 


Later that day, the five of us drove around the city and took some pictures.  Walla Walla is really a beautiful place.  It doesn't get more "small-town america" than that town.  There is something so raw about it.  

Today has been amazing too.  We have been driving through Idaho, making random stops along the way.  We came across a tiny town called Bliss. population 275. I know. Its perfection.   We made our way into the local gas station in search of...well, anything!  People were so curious and excited about the camera and the van.  The coolest part--we ended up getting some AMAZING testimonies.  Hearing females perspectives from this TINY town affirmed that this is a universal issue.  I think one of the women nailed it when she said, "It doesn't matter if you are in a small town or a big city, this happens everywhere." 

Well, there's another ridiculously long post.  sorry for my rant! long car drives=plenty of time to let you know about EVERYTHING thats going on :)

Love WINS.
Lauren

1 comment:

  1. loved your powerful message about true friends. treasure the ones who care about you... xo

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