Strange Occurrence, Ramblings, and Idea for Mobility Game. Ipod for Sale.

So today I randomly met up with a friend, and we had dinner.  While we were talking, he told me about how he felt bad that he had not helped a stranger by perhaps inviting that stranger over, giving him food, maybe giving him a place to stay for the night.  So we finished our dinner, which was incredible, and parted; I walked home thinking about many of the things we had discussed, among them this story.  On the way home, waiting for the bus, a man came up to me and asked me for some change to buy food.  I gave him my double delicious Thai leftovers.  I find it strange and interesting, the events that led up this event. I am always amazed at how good it feels to help someone, I think about it, and I’d be happy if thats all I spent my life doing; the content I feel from making something good is a drug, it wears, the joy I feel from helping never fades.

I sometimes wonder why I am pursuing “art” or film, who am I helping? Asking questions, acknowledging problems, these are things, as an artist, I am tasked with.  But, really, these are not difficult things to do, in fact they are incalculably easy.  Finding a solution, acting on it, that, to me, is something of courage, something truly worth pursuing.  I never feel as content as when I feel I am doing  something of worth, direct effect. 

For this reason, I always feel, for example, despicable at parties – I would rather do something of import and have fun, rather than do something to have fun.  I don’t care who people know, I don’t care what crazy thing they did, I don’t care about how much they drank or how wasted they got or how incredibly cool they are.  I couldn’t give a fucking shit ass less, really.  I care who they are, what they genuinely think, and what worthwhile things they in fact do or hope to do with their lives.  There is nothing I hate more than a conversation about nothing.  If people want to escape into their own ignorance, embrace empty nothings, thats fine, but its not for me.  I would hope that everything I do matters, helps something worth helping.  What I don’t have time for is inconsequence. If all I did with my life was make neat things, party, and be some faux-important person within a midst of, really, self-thanking little shit brats, I say fucking kill me now.  I’m not saying I’ve done anything worth anything, but I’m trying.  

I think about this, and I realize now that art that “speaks,” a conversation about something of worth, should never stop there – the saying should never be confused with the doing.  It is a good thing to be aware, but absolutely not enough; I do not want to be a person who talks about things, but does nothing.  So this got me to thinking about our mobility game project.  I don’t want to do something just cute or irreverent or amusing.  I don’t want to stage an event that gives privileged people something to escape to, without affecting or helping anything but those that really don’t need help at all.  Somebody, somewhere desperately needs help I am not going to be wasting my time organizing a pajama party.  I want to be able to feel that I actually directly helped someone that needed it in the process of this project…. no matter how  relatively miniscule my act.  I realize I can either be overwhelmed by all the things I can’t do, or do what I can; nothing happens, if nothing starts, its simple, really.

MOBILITY GAME IDEA

So I thought about the ipod that I was going to sell.  Initially, most of the proceeds were going to go to my girlfriend, but considering that is no longer existent, and, more importantly, after today’s turn of events, I am thinking something else.   My idea right now is that, first, I am going to document the selling of the ipod.   Whoever buys it has to be willing to 1. get their picture taken, 2. come with me and choose a person to give $20 to, and 3. Choose a song off the ipod or name one of their favorite songs, whichever. The person who is given the $20 has to be willing to do all those same things (except each person that came before the chosen would take/frame the picture).  I would continue doing this until all the proceeds were finished, I am hoping around $180 or 9 people.  I am also hoping the picture could include some game that is passed on to each person, tic tac toe or something.  So at the end of it I would have a game that has been passed between 9 different people, and a playlist (which I will upload and share on my “Sharing is Caring” box on this blog), and good feelings, and be poor.  Swell.  That said, if anyone has ideas to how I could improve this one, or would like to colloborate on something bigger, I am completely open.  All I knows is I’m going to sell my ipod, and give the money away. Oh, and if anyone knows anyone who would like to buy an ipod, or would like to buy one themselves, well, I have one for sale.  60 GB, white, pretty good condition.