Lights, Camera, Action!

"Why would you let anyone follow you around with a camera?" That is the question I asked myself as I brushed my teeth and put on moisturizer this morning. I have agreed to let Colleen, a photojournalism student follow me around for a class project. The assignment is to do a photo story on the topic "making a living." She had interviewed me for one of the local papers for a New Year's article, and thought that she could use me for this assignment as well. I agreed for many reasons. Most simple and obvious is that I almost always agree to help students with any school projects. I remember how stressful it was for me to step outside of my school to arrange internships. Also, this is for a class, not television or a magazine publication. I'm not going on display for the whole world to see. Still, I found myself questioning my sanity this morning as I gazed at the red and puffy allergy battered eyes that stared back at me in the mirror. My nose, rubbed raw by tissues, and my chapped lips were not anything I wished to share with even a small group of people.

I am usually comfortable in front of a camera. My father was a photographer, so I learned early to be at ease. He bought an 8 millimeter movie camera when I was about three. My three older siblings were in their teens -old enough to know to feel awkward in front of the camera. Family home movies often have shots of teens with a hand in front of their face, or an expression that clearly begs, "Take that camera off of me!" I was young enough to dance in circles and do any trick I could think of to keep the camera pointing in my direction. As I got older I learned to just ignore the camera for candid shots. For posed shots, I had a well practiced smile that I could turn on quickly.

I think that I want to do this project with Colleen because I believe in the healing power of stories. I think everyone has a story to tell. I tell mine through this blog. A big part of my job is retelling the stories of the Bible to help people apply wisdom and find hope in their lives today. I also work with people to think about their personal story within a theological context. That is to say, "Where do you see God working in your life? What is the life story you are writing? Does your story reflect hope, peace, and joy? How is your personal story interwoven with creation and the rest of humanity?"

I tell the stories of many people. I tell stories of people who do amazing work in difficult places. I tell stories of people in despair who find hope. I tell stories of ordinary daily life being touched by the Holy. Telling the stories of others is a difficult job. When I tell my own story I try to be kind to those around me whose stories have intertwined with mine. It is one thing to tell something negative about yourself, but entirely different if you tell that same story about someone else.

My favorite time to share the life stories of others is at funeral services. It is a time to celebrate an entire life- not just the last few years of a person. I love sitting with a family, asking a few questions and then listen to the stories pour from them. It is usually a time of laughter mixed with tears. It is a step toward healing.

So here I am on the other side. I am letting someone look in on my life and tell what they see. I need to be on the other side from time to time. It serves as a reminder that it takes vulnerability and trust to let someone else tell your story. It is a dance of balances. We become comfortable in our roles and forget what it is like to be on the other side. Those who give need to know what it is like to receive, in order to be more graceful in their giving. Those who receive need to know the sacrifices and the joys of giving.

I believe that by allowing someone else to tell part of my story that I will become a better storyteller. Colleen will see things in my life differently than I do and I will learn new things about myself. Being alive involves growth. This project is set up so that the student will learn and grow in their field. I suspect that I will get a good education from this project as well.