p4astories

[p4astories]

Why I watched 700+ P4A videos this past weekend.

How:

Many tabs, little sleep, lots of coffee, using x2 speed (or Hank talking speed as I like to call it), and honestly skipping over some of the intros and ending.

Most videos start with some form of:

“It’s that time of year again / It’s my favorite time of year / This is my first year making a video / I know this isn’t my usual video.”

“It is the Project for Awesome and if you don’t know what that is, it is a charity project/organization/two day event started by John and Hank / Hank and John the famous YouTubers.”

One person did come from Rhett and Link and one person thought it was Tom and Hank, but mostly everyone else followed the script.

Most videos also end with shepherding the viewer to watch other P4A videos, check out the P4A website, donate to the charity, like, subscribe, or vote.

Why:

P4A is my favorite time of year because of the middle part of the videos. I got to hear about people’s struggles and triumphs not through a TV show, news article, or book but from them. There were people who started their own charities, because they saw a need and took it upon themselves to fill it. Others watched previous P4A videos and found causes they wanted to join and started volunteering or got a job at that organization. People joined clubs or groups or helped on occasional weekends or participated during certain months (I’m talking about you NaNoWriMo). Some people traveled around the world to help others by listening and working with them. Others boasted about organizations that have helped them during a tough time. So many spent time researching charities to not only find out what they do but how well they do it and if it was worth our time and money to support them.

I listened to people with chronic diseases tell me about their struggles. They were frustrated that others couldn’t understand what they were going through, but glad they too didn’t have to deal with the daily pain. I saw people who lost parents try to reach out and let others know they will get through it and that there are organizations and support groups. I was invited to sit at kitchen tables and living rooms as teenagers interviewed their sick loved ones. I listened to people who had suffered the loss of loved ones from illness. So many told stories of friends or family who had committed suicide or those who thought about it themselves, and they wanted us to know that there is help and alternatives out there for us. Other videos were there to support people who were being persecuted for their gender, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities… So many people wanted us to know that we weren’t alone in our struggles.

I love the Project for Awesome, because it gives everyone a voice. It can be hard to make a difference. Maybe you don’t have money to donate. Maybe you can’t cure your loved one, rescue animals, save the environment, bring back a loved one, travel to another country to volunteer, give everyone food/shelter/books/water/education/safety...but you can make a video. You can tell your story. You can raise awareness.

So thank you to everyone who made a video and shared your story, passion, and hope. I enjoyed the few minutes I spent with each of you. Thank you for decreasing the suck and increasing the awesome.

I can’t wait to hangout with you all next year.