So, I started out our Power of One campaign with the grand intention of blogging twice a week and it’s been over a month since my last blog. Hmm…. I do have a great excuse, but isn’t that what it’s always about – how legitimate we find our excuses for not doing what we said we would! (Gotta tell you though, as mine does seem completely valid: about 3 weeks ago, just after returning from Denver, I came down with not only the flu, but also pneumonia.Was house bound for about 2 weeks straight! Am feeling better now – not quite 100%, but getting there.)
- So back to the blogging…
Last you heard from me, I was going to Denver for Judy Colaneri’s Spanish Steps annual gathering and a showing of our trailer.
It was so great to get to know and spend time with Judy and Sandy from La Flecha Amarilla wines as here were two other women who love the Camino, are following their hearts, and are totally responsible for keeping their business going. They both are so supportive and understanding about the struggles I’ve had with raising the money to finish the film. It was so gracious of Judy to invite me to her annual gathering, let me show the film and ask for donations.
We had a great turnout in Golden, Colorado – 45 people came and said they loved it but somehow that didn’t translate to much money. We only raised $126 that evening – not even enough to cover my plane fare. I was so discouraged and disappointed, but there were a few people that said that they would send in checks (unfortunately, none have arrived yet – I may need to send a reminder!).
I began to question my faith, my faith in myself, the Camino and the documentary. I realized I have this need to be able to imagine how something will happen to believe that it will happen. When I have no idea how something could happen, that is when I lose my faith. I realize that one wealthy person, who loves and believes in this project, could fund the entire thing. And that could happen tomorrow or it could happen a year from now. It doesn’t make it any more or less likely to happen if I think I know who that person could be. They could be someone I know or they could be a friend of a friend who sees the trailer tomorrow and decides that the world needs this film finished.
I got caught thinking there was some correlation between how much we raised in Denver and how the whole campaign was going to go. I thought I went to Denver to raise money, but it appears that wasn’t why. Judy gave me another reason – she offered to do:
- a fundraising tour of the Camino with me in October!
She would organize a 10-day van-supported tour of the Camino (with she and I as guides) October 17-26th, 2011 and donate all the profit to The Camino Documentary. What an incredible gift – I will be able to share my love for the Camino with friends and family AND raise money at the same time!
I hope you will join us – it will be a wonderful trip. Shoot me an email at lydia@caminodocumentary.org for more info on the tour. I’m excited, inspired and encouraged again! Thank you, Judy!
¡Buen Camino!
Lydia