Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp
When I first moved to San Francisco, I was broke, homeless, and without friends. Nevertheless, I arrived confident and determined to succeed. Little by little I built a life for myself – found an apartment, made friends, got jobs, and survived financially. I worked 60+ hours every week between two jobs for the first three months. One of those was street canvassing for the Sierra Club, and I was really good at the job. I raised a lot during the first week or two because I was so determined to hold onto the income; I quickly became confident in my abilities as a canvasser, and that’s when I started doing poorly. I worked with my office director and field managers to change my routine, but nothing was sticking. One day, the director told me, “Flirt with everybody – young, old, male, female.” I did – flirting worked like a charm. The lesson I learned was to use what I’ve got; exhaust every option to find what works the best. Then, be happy with the results, because you will not get any better.
The screening in Franklin reminded me of this valuable lesson. We had a meager turnout for the screening and, to be honest, I could have done more to fill the seats. I had two large movie posters in the trunk that went unused. My language when talking with locals should have been more direct and specific. Rather than pretend to be in my own world, I should have hung out with the high school and college kids at the McDonalds I was working at (free Wi-Fi.) There was more to be done, and I dropped the ball.
The room was not empty though, so I used what I got. I discarded my disappointment in attendance numbers and focused on how wonderful it was that people, who I had never previously met, attended. The intimate setting was perfect because I got to connect with every person. I know who they are, how they heard of the film, and their afterthoughts. We laughed together (a lot) before, during, and after the film. I almost cried during the film I got so caught up in the crowd mentality. It was a special event; in the second screening of the G2M Tour, I realized that I was accomplishing one of the tour’s goals of giving back to the AT community.
Three thru-hikers attended the Franklin screening – siblings originally from South Korea that moved to Alabama a few years ago. The resemblance to the Traveling Circus is striking – two women/one man, man is youngest, one woman with a big idea while others struggle to identify why they are hiking, incredible support for each other. After the film, the questions poured out from each of them. They wanted practical advice, my opinions on balancing a group, my thoughts on the ups and downs of trail life, and my support that they could hike and still achieve their “real world” dreams. Again, I used what I’ve got – experience and insight. While telling them answers to everything they wanted, I questioned to myself how much information was too much. Yes, they wanted to learn, but part of the AT experience is learning from mistakes made along the way. This group structure does not work, so let’s try something new. Also, it is like getting a new textbook for class; I want to learn everything, but if I read the book in one sitting I will be overwhelmed and absorb very little. When do I cross from being helpful to overpowering?
This is the end of the post. My mind is racing so much that a conclusion is impossible.
