getting close to the kids

editing stacy's story is going well and i'm wisely not worrying about b-roll. stacy's time span is currently at more then 40 minutes and in the end it'll surely be over an hour. it's gonna be tuff to edit back. just about everything stacy says is valid and important. all of it is really well said. editing this down to 20 minutes will be difficult. lots of stuff for extras i guess.

it's really interesting because stacy is presenting a very different take on the whole experience then alicia. and that's great for the film! in fact i'm really seeing two camps - both are great - both quite valid. on one hand there are those like myself and alicia (the Katies also maybe) i think very practical, logistical and very conscience of the basic needs to support the operations and also for the provision to the surrounding area. the other group has a focus on the kids establishing close personal relationships. alicia makes many valid arguments against "going" and i agree with them. but certainly not against what this second camp is doing.

the reason for folks like stacy and jarka and david and marta, casey in going is to connect personally to play, hug, hold and love the kids. at one point stacy described the "needs" children have from a developmental standpoint. keep in mind many of these kids are orphans and the staff really doesn't have the time for a great deal of the one on one attention the kids really need. volunteers bring this.

it's incredible to watch (i didn't have the luxury of participating). i'm a very emotional person, i think i was very comfortable - not getting too close. i didn't have that option any way. there is an element of this that is quite difficult though.

parting :(

it's hard on the kids and it's hard on the volunteers. i didn't (couldn't) get that close to the kids and leaving was still difficult. david who did get quite close, talked about "parting" one of the kids - the oldest and toughest was openly crying as david and marta said goodbye. i have to say though - it's better to go through the parting then not to have had the love. and we know more volunteers will follow - and pick up where others left off.

it's an interesting concept. to be touched over time by perhaps 100's of very caring people from around the world. as a child, perhaps an orphan, how does that effect you? it'd be interesting to follow up with an interview... with a kid who lived that. to know how that impacted them. i'm not saying it's good or bad - we all grow up under different circumstances, to lose your parents though - what could be worse?