Mr. Jake Goes To Washington
I'll be speaking at a lymphedema awareness/research benefit on May 2nd in D.C! I've never done such a thing, and my brain keeps telling me that I'm not inspiring enough to do this, but my brain says a lot of nonsense to keep me in my comfort zone, and frankly I've somehow never failed to move and inspire a crowd, and I'll be great.
There is also going to be a 13-year-old boy there with primary lymphedema, and I'm told he's going through a tough time. I was miserable at 13 with primary lymphedema. Most people are miserable at 13 anyway. When your whole body and face are hidden under a lot of swelling all the time, it takes junior high to an entirely new level of miserable. I am making damn sure that kid knows he's going to have a great lie, and that he's going to be one sexy mofo. Which means I have to have a great life - which I do - and I have to be a sexy mofo - which I am. When I actually be a sexy mofo.
I want the press there. I want the media there. I want this to be the first step in an ongoing lymphedema awareness campaign. If you know anyone in the media send them my way - I want to talk to them.
What happened to the documentary?
A production company contacted me earlier this year, saying they'd like to commit their resources to the project - lights, cameras, sound, editing equipment, and a team of interns to work on it. Great! Then the company lost their money and had to fire their interns, and no more production company.
Truth be told, I let the project fizzle out, for the same stupid reason I'm sitting on my hands about contacting the press - because I feel like I'm not inspiring enough to produce a documentary that will deliver the emotional impact I want it to have. I want people to walk out of that theater feeling connected to everyone else in it regardless of their circumstances. I want them laughing, crying, seeing things about their own lives. So my brain says "Jake, you're a computer programmer who oversleeps every morning and practically has a heart attack talking to a girl. How are you going to inspire anyone?" My brain, like I said, says a lot of things, and it does it to make sure I stay safe and survive. Thank you brain, I got it, now let's give a speech and make a documentary.
And film the benefit for the documentary! What a great idea - someone suggested that recently and I can't believe I saw them as separate things. So I need to get someone there with cameras to film it.
