Stories in the time of COVID – a Love Story
We are all on edge, trying to figure out what each moment looks and feel like and how to navigate this new reality. We have seen neighborhood community action groups rise up to help each other, we have seen local businesses band together to help those who need it, we have seen our town go inside when Spring is arriving and all of this can be seen as a huge collective act of love.
I believe that when given the clear choice, we generally choose love over fear. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty right now, and there are lots of things that we have no control over. I had to really step back and figure out how Tell Us Something can continue its mission of helping people get their stories heard, of how to encourage people to actively listen.
The March 25 “Lost & Found” live event at The Wilma was canceled. The April show scheduled for The Orphan Girl Theatre in Butte was canceled. The May 7 “ Be Careful What You Wish For” show at The Myrna Loy in Helena is canceled. The June 9 “No Excuses” show at The Wilma is canceled and the planned show in Bozeman at The Rialto is canceled. I grieved. The live events are my favorite thing about Tell Us Something. For a while, I had to do nothing in regards to Tell Us Something.
And for me, doing nothing is an active practice of observing. I watched the musician community band together (yes, I made that pun) and began performing online, essentially busking in people’s living rooms. I watched film festivals go virtual. I watched fundraisers go virtual.
And while I was doing nothing, I began drafting the bylaws that will move Tell Us Something out from under the umbrella of the fiscal sponsorship of Missoula Community Foundation.
I began thinking about ways to bring Tell Us Something into the virtual space. I mean, it already is in some ways. We’ve had a podcast that you can listen to of people’s stories for 10 years. We’ve had a YouTube channel where you can watch people’s stories for the past 10 years.
And I thought about how to continue serving you.
I am still committed to helping people get their stories heard through a variety of platforms. Tell Us Something has your back.
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