Don’t Wait for Good, Go Find It
There always something unpleasant in the news. Worse, this queue of sad stories is never-ending; the high notes don't last long before they're pushed off the front page to make way for the latest updates about unfolding unrest of some kind or another. That makes news like the kind we're sharing today that much sweeter. It's an update from patagonia friend and adventure photographer, Trevor Clark, about a cool new project he's working on. He's set aside paying work in hopes of capturing a story about some good being done in the world.
Trevor's project is unique for a number of reasons, but the one that got our attention was this: it's an assignment he's given himself, based on his belief in the power of positive stories.
Obviously, a photographer needs to sell their pictures to make money. The odds are of doing this are greatly increased when said photographer can go on-assignment for a publication. Trouble is, "[in the current economy] no magazine is going to pay to send me to Africa no matter how good the story is," says Trevor.
He went anyway. No money. No promises. Just the belief that a good story deserves to be told.
So what's this story in Africa and why is it worth telling? Trevor's documenting the story of Dr. Jessie Stone – a kayaker-turned-doctor-turned-humanitarian. She's a professional kayaker (a member of the USA Freestyle Kayak Team), but she's also a medical doctor, and a paddling trip to Africa helped focus her talents into something extraordinary. She's one of those rare people who can be directly credited with saving thousands of lives. Almost singlehandedly, Dr. Stone has brought malaria treatment, education, and prevention to a part of the world in desperate need of it. She's the kind of person who finds a way to do good when she sees some good that needs to be done.
Trevor's the kind of person who needs to share good when he hears some good that needs sharing. As he puts it on his blog, "they say timing is everything, but it never seems like the right time to take a risk. You can talk yourself out of it every time thinking that way."
So Trevor's going to try to shine a light on Dr. Stone's work, and in doing so, hopefully inspire others to bring their own form of good into the world.
"Basically, the world needs a GOOD story," says Trevor, "and Jessie is GOOD People. I am going to tell her story."
How and where he shares that story is up to us, the people who hear about what these two are up to and seek to share it with others. Learn more about Dr. Stone's work in Africa, and find out how you can help her, or help Trevor share this story, by visiting Trevor's page on Kickstarter.com: http://kck.st/ejnznZ
