Creating Your Own Unique Story

When was the last time you sat down to watch a documentary and was inspired by something you saw? I am just fascinated by how much a single documentary can influence so many people to make major changes in their lives. The recent movie, What the Health, has inspired many people from fast food junkies to meat and potatoes folks to rethink the choices they make each day. 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure--a precursor to heart disease and stroke--yet, this is not enough to make people stop and consider the choices they make on a day to day basis.

So I ask myself, what is the power behind a documentary, that 1-2 hours of TV. Is it the imagery? Or is it hearing stories from real people? Is it so much information including shocking statistics received in a short period of time?

Each and every day we are living out our own documentary that reflects a factual report of an issue. Each of our life stories reflect facts that should not be ignored. A television documentary can carry so much weight and change the perspective of so many people. What will it take to get people to be influenced by their own story?

For example, I leave my house each day to enter a world where I may cross through communities that have faced extreme gentrification. Every day I pass by at least a handful of homeless individuals. Every day I pass by public schools filled with children who go home hungry.

Could the power of a documentary be that we haven’t yet become numb to the realities of life because its not something we watch daily? Do we fail to see the shock factor in it all? However, we watch our own circumstances and those of others around us daily and may just be numb to this story due to the frequent exposure.

Now I know I have gotten really real with you all. For some you may be thinking this is a bit too deep or too hard to digest. However, let me create a documentary filled with hope for you all. Imagine people leaving their homes each day on purpose to serve. Imagine neighbors becoming authentic community despite differences in ethnicity, socio economics, and phases of life. Imagine every school being adopted by a church to serve that schools greatest needs. Imagine unity. Imagine celebrating the cultures behind the beautiful canvases of color we see each day called skin. Now that is some documentary.