Thursday, November 20, 2008

A shout out to two of the bravest people that I know

I often worry about what role models Alice will find in her life. On the one hand, there are so many admirable people in this world - so many people that have followed their dreams in a positive way and accomplished extraordinary things. On the other hand, I clearly remember being a teenager and admiring - not the people out there changing the world but - my crazy-assed friends. Yes, I was a dork. The faster my friends drove, the cooler I thought they were. The more spontaneous and adventuresome they were, the more I liked them.

I hope that Alice has more sense than I did. All I can do is introduce her to some of the most admirable people that I know.

Two months ago, two of my very best friends gave away everything they owned except for some clothes and a pair of stilts and set off to explore America on a grand busking adventure.

They believe so passionately in what they are doing that they are willing to face open criticism from strangers (I have a hard time thinking about getting a negative comment on my blog - I can't even imagine strangers telling me to my face that I suck and finding the strength to continue on - not that they suck. Quite the opposite. Their show is fun and creative and inspiring). In the process they contemplating questions that everyone should have to answer: why are we doing this? What are we hoping to gain? What role does art play in our world? They say it much more eloquently on their blog. I highly recomend it.

With what money are they accomplishing this wonderful adventure, you might ask? With very limited funds, relying instead on the premise that people are basically good at heart. They are hitch-hicking as much as they can, staying with friends, family, and couch surfing.

I am so impressed with what they are doing, and while I probably worry about their safety more than they do, I hope that Alice will be inspired by them.

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