Twenty years ago I went to a community meeting. Just months before, I had purchased a house in Franklin and was more than a little uncertain about deciding to move back to the town I had run from the moment I graduated from High School. I left believing this place was too small, too stuck in its ways, and had no room for me.
I don't remember what that meeting was about or why I decided to go. I only recall that there were many non-profit agencies represented and at some point, I let them know I was a videographer and want to help in some way. At the time, I was the corporate videographer for Joy. I wasn't looking for paid work.
The phone didn't ring right away but the calls came. At "River Romp", I captured Kurt Steiner breaking the stone skipping world record. Then came some fun guerilla video work (my favorite challenge) where I was asked to bring a camera with a blind suggestion to capture something talking about the value of a play spot on Allegheny. Another time, I was asked to capture a video about Oil City that might catch the attention of Ellen DeGenerous. You can find that one - "Hub of Oildom" - on Youtube. It didn't catch her attention but it was great fun doing.
With those videos, I met great people who are friends today. Those videos led to more videos and bigger video projects and more friends. The connections, the friends, the opportunities that grew before my eyes led to more than video projects and bigger dreams.
Today the community that I thought I needed to flee seems huge, full of opportunity and the perfect place for me to grow and thrive.
I'm still producing videos - most of which are for non-profits. I'm retired from Joy. And I'm running a music store in my home town - something I would never have imagined 20 years ago and certainly not when I grew up here so many years ago.
Life takes big circles. I'm liking this side of the circle.
