Bicycles and Churches

So I've got two weeks left of this initial trip. I've made it to Mississippi. I spent yesterday wandering around Paulder on my bike. It was a beautiful day and I had gotten a great sleep at a nearby campground. I chatted with the ranger about the area and our lives, and I felt all warmed up to hit the streets. So I just started riding up to people doing various things outside their homes and asking if they'd be willing to talk on camera for a while. It was really great.

I only got one interview on camera - a highschool kid washing his parents' car. But I spoke with more people then I have in a single day yet. Most were too skeptical of video cameras to partake. Quite frankly I can't blame them. But, really that's part of the purpose of this whole experiment: to use video for positive communication and give a voice to those who would not otherwise engage. I’ll also mention that the effects of Katrina are far reaching, and people are quick to sensor one another – uncertain about how footage will be used.

I came upon young fellas drinking brews outside their trailer homes blasting hip hop and laughing at the fact that I was riding up to them on a bike. Some tried to scare me with stories of wolves on the loose in the neighborhood. Some related their love for their hood.

In the end it was the first day I've felt like I was truly at "work." Presented with human challenges - learning how to relate to people different then myself who would rather I didn't come at them with a camera.

This is what it's all about.

So I'm in Bay Springs now. I was ready to go at another day of the door to door, but it was really cold last night and I don't think I slept well, because as I went driving into town, all amped up to hit a Baptist church and hop on the bicycle, I was hit by exhaustion. I've once again taken up residence in a motel. I've slept and decided to commit the evening to editing. It's about time I got some more videos up anyhow.

I also had some revelations on living alone that I'll mention briefly. I think people don't want to live alone. So for the most part we try to fill much of our time with others. Often times we get caught up in doing things that we really don't care for mainly because we would like to be around other people. These things may be spending money (our major social engagement) or otherwise. I feel like it would be beneficial to have someone else along for the trip, but I also have found invaluable this time spent alone and away from bars and parties and restaurants (I'd like to say Wal Mart, but often times it's the only option for vital supplies). I have gained the simplicity of self-maintenance and the sound I make alone in the forest. I think that this is of utmost importance in relating oneself to another.

Along these same lines I've come to realize why this country is so religious. That's the predominant free social activity. In the rural areas I've been so far there are more churches than pretty much anything else. There's a deli selling beer and candy bars on the corner of every block in New York and there's a church on every "corner" of the South. I'm not making any judgments here, I'm just saying whatever missionary goals founded this country did an alright job at building a web.

One last thing: seems like media is much like a religion. (Not wanting to sound new agey or like some sort of crackpot) I'm not going to elaborate on that anymore here because I need to get to editing.

I'm sorry if this entry isn't quite clear, but I'm watching "Days of Thunder" on TV... It's so hard to focus with cable available. (The movie really hits home right now… for some reason)