It seems a little like cheating to write my first blog post about, well, blogging. But I’ve been thinking back about a week-long period last month that revolved in one way or another around social media that it’s really the only thing I can think of to talk about.
I’ve never been one to blog. Truth be told, social media mostly doesn’t appeal to me; the idea of documenting my life for the world leaves a bit of a funny taste in my mouth. But something I heard over and over that week, in different words and from different people, is that social media is about more than merely telling the world about your life: it’s about telling the world your story.
Your story is all you have, really. It’s what gives you your voice, it’s what propels you out into the world. Every fellow in GHC has their own unique story that informs why they’re here, now, doing this work. Telling your story is your way of telling the world not just that you’re here, but also why.
I’ve always enjoyed telling stories.
Last month marked my first trip to Washington, DC. I went with some colleagues from Single Stop USA for a meeting, and while I didn’t get to explore the city (though I did have a very nice shopping experience inside Union Station), I wanted to take just one picture of a DC landmark as “proof” that I was there. GHC encourages us to use social media to document our fellowship year, and I casually joked to my colleagues that I have to compete with other fellows who post up-close pictures of elephants on their Instagram accounts. Somehow, this turned into a walk to the Capitol Building and an insistence that I have to be in any picture I take. It was about proving that I really was there, my coworkers said. A picture of an elephant could have just been pulled off of Google (the picture was real, but my colleague was on a roll so I didn’t argue with her), but a picture of me with the Capitol rising in the background means I was there. I was there, and my story now includes taking day trips to and planning meetings in Washington, DC.
That, and Single Stop loves a good picture for our Facebook page.
The following Sunday and Monday were spent attending the Social Good Summit here in New York City. This year’s theme centered on youth engagement and digital advocacy, a theme that was hammered home by the nonstop stage display of the Summit’s hashtag: #2030NOW.
Confession time: I didn’t get a Twitter or Instagram account until after starting my fellowship year, and I still don’t have Facebook. I’m still figuring the whole social media thing out, and whipping out my phone to snap a quick pic when I see something I want to capture – something that I want to remember – is a harder habit to form than you might think. So imagine my surprise when, within the first session of the Summit, I found myself sitting with my phone in my hands instead of my bag, constantly tweaking the settings to take the perfect picture. Or at least a picture that wasn’t so fuzzy that I looked like an Impressionist painting.
Thank goodness GHC got us VIP passes, because I took so many photos and videos that I had to recharge my battery twice each day. It became a constant battle between wanting to stay in the auditorium and watch everything in person and wanting to charge my phone so I could capture as much of the Summit and speakers as I could, which meant having to watch on the television screens set up in the VIP lounge while my phone charged so that I could take all the pictures and videos it turned out that I wanted.
In the end, I managed to time things pretty well, and recorded Al Gore and Malala Yousafzai giving some of the most impassioned public speaking I’ve ever had the privilege to witness. They will stay with me, and I’m glad I have something more accurate to remember them by than imperfect human memory.
The rest of the week was spent in bizarrely similar fashion: attending events and finding that I didn’t just want to capture them on my camera, I wanted to share them with people. Not for the sake of sharing in and of itself, but because these moments were a part of my story that I wanted to tell.
I wanted to share pictures of the (supposedly) haunted mansion where Single Stop held its staff retreat – sure, we delved deeper into the mission and future of the organization, but really, it was all about bonding with each other and discussing ghost hunting tactics.
I wanted to share pictures of my coworkers and me up to our elbows in fresh produce at a food pantry – I was amazed and overwhelmed by the quality and amount of fresh produce available for families who might otherwise not be able to afford farm-fresh vegetables and milk.
I didn’t post any of those pictures, but I wanted to. So I’m sharing them here. These images tell the story of a week in my life as a fellow. It’s a week that has further defined who I am as a person and who I want to become. These pictures and videos remind me that we’ve made a lot of progress towards a more equitable world, but that there is still a lot of work left to do. Most of all, though, they remind me of where I am right now and what I’m doing here; they remind me why I’m here.
This was definitely a week I’ll never forget.
And if I ever do, I’ve got pictures to help me remember.