Change in Lifestyle: Dreaming to Live Out of a Car

The Chevy Aveo Dream Machine.  Somewhere in Montana.
 

Woah! Dear Readers, I apologize for not writing in quite sometime… I hope I didn't mislead you to think that things stopped changing in my life and that I therefore had nothing more to write about… Actually, the exact opposite is true. So much has changed in my life in the last 2 months that I've hardly had time to catch up and write about it.

The biggest change in my life lately is my lifestyle. I'm currently living out of a car and tent with my partner Kelly.

Why?

Well, we're on a journey we call the Pan-American Dream: We're traveling by road to Alaska and then to Argentina! We're exploring national parks, different countries and people, making our own films/photography, while teaching free film workshops to youth in the majority of places we visit.

We're currently in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada and making our way towards Alaska where we'll do our first workshop in Palmer, AK.

It's been a big change to move out of a small apartment and into a small car… and we're still getting use to it. Although we eat a lot of pasta and don't shower much, it does feel a bit like a dream: We wake up early to the sunrise without an alarm clock, pass through gorgeous landscapes, and stop a few minutes to watch baby mountain goats wrestle in the middle of the road. The past 2 weeks have been great!

There were two major forces that realized this adventure:

1. Kickstarter and the family, friends, and strangers that supported our project and helped us raise over $7000- THANK YOU SO MUCH! Kickstarter.com is a great community of people making change. Check it out. See what people are doing. Support them. Start your own project. Make it happen.

2. Attitude. Simply believing and acting like a trip like this would happen regardless of how possible it may seem.

One thing that disturbs me is the way some people may think about dreams. For example, have you ever heard the expression, "Ha! In your dreams!" Although it may be casual, the attitude behind the statement is that your dreams, or dreams at large for that matter, are unattainable. If you let any little idea or thought like this take root, it can cripple you for life.

If you want a simple way to make dreams or anything you want to do happen, then change the way you think and talk about them. Don't say you would love to do this or that, start saying you are going to do this or that. Don't try to do something, JUST DO IT (I guess Nike was onto something…). And sometimes don't think or hesitate too much… It's these simple attitude and thought adjustments that will help make the things you want to do happen. BOOM!

This philosophy of attitude is discussed in further detail by the book and film The Secret. I saw this film during an uncertain post-college time. I was working random freelance work, still showing up at college parties, and every other day wondering, "What the hell am I doing with myself?"

The main idea I took away from The Secret was that if you want to change, do, or be something… First, you have to really believe and imagine that you can do it. From a filmmaker/photographer standpoint, I practice visualization as a primary means to believing. If it's something I want, like a new camera, I imagine myself already having that camera. I really try to see myself holding that new camera, how it feels, and what I may photograph with it. If it's somewhere I want to go, like Alaska, I look at photos and videos and hang up maps in my room as a reminder of where I'm going (notice I didn't say where I want to go). So you see, even if you don't have the best imagination, you can use external resources like film, photographs, books, and more to help you visualize. The important thing is to create and imagine the details. The more detailed your vision is, the greater energy and chance you'll have of actualizing it.

Yesterday was my 24th birthday. I'm in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada and I am driving to Alaska. It's been great to look back and see where I've ended up 2 years after college. Throughout this reflection, I found a Word document that I wrote shortly after seeing The Secret. Over a year ago, I printed this out and hung it on the basement wall above my desk in my sister's basement where I use to live. Everyday it was a constant reminder of my short term goals.

Goals for 2009
-Pay off my student loans [Done. Zero debt. Boom!]
-Go to Alaska in the Summer [delayed, but happening now]
-Make a new music video [Charlie Slick Music Video. Check my Vimeo.]
-Write a feature screenplay [Still working on it.]
-Make an animation [I kind of did one. But still need to do more.]
-Get my website up [Yikes… I'm slacking a bit…]
-Meditate 15-30 min everyday [Not as often as I should…]
-Eat less candy and processed foods [I've limited my processed foods… but I still have that sweet tooth!]
-Read more philosophy [Not enough…]
-Read more novels and biographies [Not enough…]
-Exercise and feel great [Pretty good.]
-Play my drum more and get more percussion instruments [Check.]

Things I Want
-A radical girlfriend [Check! Thanks Kelly!]
-A new Macbook Pro [Check. Thanks to a few good freelance gigs.]
-A Canon 5D MkII Camera [Teaching job.]
-Road Trip Gear [Thanks Kickstarter!]

Wow! It feels quite empowering to look at this list that I wrote during a somewhat pathetic, jobless and loveless part of my life and see that I've checked off most of it!

So there you go Dear Reader. I hope you visualize what you want, want to be, want to change. Let me know how it works.

I'll continue to update this blog from the road when things change. If you want to hear more about my trip, follow The Pan-American Dream blog.

Hearts,

-Marty

T

The end of a hike in Glacier N.P.

Change at the Party: Move a Car with Your Bare Hands!

Wow! Look at this guy! Someone take a photo, quick! Okay World’s Strongest Man, say, “Cheese!” That was a Kodak moment for sure. Okay, you can put the car down…

Whew! As unlikely as it may seem, this guy and I share a few affinities: We both like acts that are ridiculous in nature and we both like moving cars by hand.

I’m going to discuss the latter…

It’s possible that this guy has wanted to move cars by hand ever since he was a little boy the size of his current bicep… It’s possible that he’s been training his whole life, devoting the majority of his time to the over development of his muscles so that one day, his dream of moving a car with his hands would come true…

When I was a little boy, I played soccer. There are two things I remember my coaches saying:

1. You’re white trash.

I was about 12 years old when I was playing on a premiere league in another, more “affluent,” suburban community. One day at practice, the trainer called me “white trash.” When my mom and I brought this up to the head coach, the trainer said he was only kidding. He may have been an okay trainer but he was a poor comedian. I quit the team a week later to spare myself the poor humor.

2. There is no “I” in “Team.”

I heard this from several coaches throughout my soccer years. Cliché as it is, the possibilities of teamwork are incredible. An individual has the potential to accomplish great things… like change the position of a car with their bare hands… But a good team can accomplish the same task much more efficiently.

This point was proven last weekend when I was at a house party. A friend was trying to leave but his car was blocked in by a large Taurus. We asked around the party to find the owner but no luck…

Now most people may have accepted defeat at this point…

I, however, have been fortunate enough to see the potential of a Group of People Vs. a Car. In the past, a friend backed over a curb during winter and the middle of the car body was hanging over a small ledge. She gathered 6-8 dudes, including myself, and together, we were able to pick one end of the car up and swing it back onto the parking lot. The moment the car lifted off the ground we were all surprised and thrilled with self and group empowerment!

Now I’m back at the party and I’m trying to gather 6-8 people asking everyone, “Who wants to move a car?! Okay, put that beer down and let’s go!” It was difficult to rally people up at first… There were several people who were doubtful… But, “One…Two…Three,” we lifted and the car started moving. Together, it took about 7 people 3 attempts to shift a Taurus out of the drive way far enough for my friend to get out. Every participant was thrilled- especially, those doubtful at first. Immediately after, I heard people on their phone, “Dude, WE JUST MOVED A FUCKING CAR! WITH OUR HANDS!”

Let’s summarize:

1. Both the World’s Strongest Man and Myself like to move cars by hand.

2. Both the World’s Strongest Man and a Group of People can move a car. I prefer the latter approach.

3. The World’s Strongest Man must train for years to prepare and accomplish this task. A Group of People can be ready in about 5 minutes.

4. The World’s Strongest Man uses drugs like steroids to help him achieve the task. A Group of People can be intoxicated with alcohol and other drugs and still move a car.

5. When the World’s Strongest Man moves a car, the accomplishment is only shared with himself and his muscles. When a Group of People move a car, everyone high-fives and shares the joy of their accomplishment.

It’s unfortunate how the media and our society focus so much on individual feats and accomplishments. Professional athletes get paid a ridiculous salary for their exceptional physical skills. In politics, it seems we expect one President to change the world for the better. As we watch abnormally strong individuals pick up cars, refrigerators, boulders, and other tasks lacking utility, we feel more powerless and forget that we too have great potential, especially if we work together.

Nearly anything is possible. Everyone has potential. Individuals can combine their energy to do amazing things. The power of teamwork is incredible!

If you’re feeling down and depressed, it is often from the result of feeling powerless. A great way to empower yourself is to simply pick up a car and move it with a bunch of your friends. It may be a little stupid... But trust me, you will feel empowered by the possibilities of what teamwork can do. Then, take that energy towards a more useful goal in the future!

Make Change. Just Do It!

-Lazer

Change in Wheels: The Bicycle Thief and The Crackhead

[My Schwinn Prelude road bike was stolen St. Paddy's day, Wednesday March 17th, 2010 from 413 Washtenaw, Ann Arbor.  It was locked to a porch and stolen sometime between 10pm and 2:30am.  If someone helps recover my bike, I'll buy you lunch and give you a gracious high-five!  It's blue and chrome, has a rack, a water bottle holder, and a few lights.  I think it's a 2008.]

When I was a kid, I attempted to ride my mountain bike across a long patch of ice at the park. I thought if I kept my handle bars and tires straight, I could glide across 20 ft of ice. And I was right! Well, I was right for about 3 seconds, after which my bike flew out from under me sending me to the ground with my head ricocheting off the ice. In that moment of blurred vision I did not decide to get a bike helmet, but rather that I would never ride a bike in icy or snowy conditions.

Now that I'm an older kid, I would like to ride my bike during winter but I’m not hardcore enough to sport the gloves, mask, and goggles. Not to mention a road bike doesn’t fair as well as a mountain bike…

Fortunately though, Ann Arbor was blessed this past week with a few beautiful sunny days as we transition to spring. During this time, I also transition my wheels: less driving my little car into town, finding parking, and paying for gas while more riding my bike, skateboard, rollerblades, and more exercise and energy.

It’s 8:30pm St. Paddy’s day and I’m cruising on my bicycle. It’s only the third time I’ve had my bike out this season. I’m heading over to a friend’s for a haircut. The wind blows through my long hair one last time. I arrive and lock my bike to her front porch. We have some beers and I get an unforgettable haircut (A post on that coming soon). It’s about 10pm and we head to the bars.

I hang with my friends, we drink, we be marry, and now it’s 2am and we’re out. I get back to my friends about 2:30am expecting to ride the 3 miles back to my house, which is much harder now, being mostly an uphill ride…

But it’s gone… my bike is gone… no bike… no lock… no damage to the steel handrail where it was locked… nothing…

I’m really pissed. My neighbor who runs a bike shop hooked me up with this new Schwinn Prelude in 2008. This is only the 3rd season I’ve had it. I’m even more frustrated because I only need the bike for a few more months. I was planning to give it to my brother-in-law when Kelly and I head out for our Alaska-to-Argentina road trip this summer.

My friend and I walk around the nearby neighborhoods in a hopeless search.

I’m angry. I consider ripping someone else’s bike off a rack and riding it home… I remember the end scene of The Bicycle Thief, an incredible Italian Neorealist film about a worker who gets a job during the depression but needs a bike. After selling some of his families belongings, he gets a bike only to be stolen before his first day of work. [Spoiler Alert] After a long desperate search for the thief, the protagonist resolves to stealing someone else’s bike. His attempt is unsuccessful and witnessed by his young son who cries as he watches the shame and moral breakdown of his father. I imagine the same young boy watching me and crying… I curse and reconsider.

I have blurred moral lines of right and wrong. Generally, I don’t mind pilfering something from a large company, like eating a bunch of bulk food at the 24 hour grocery store (yum!) or wearing a sweat shirt out of Wal-Mart on a cold day. A lot of large companies like Wal-Mart already screw several people over both discreetly and not. But I could never steal someone’s personal property because I know I would directly screw someone over. 

I meet Kelly at a pizza place about 3am and she gives me a ride home.

Being bike-less is so frustrating. I’m now currently dependent on a car, oil, and transportation that burns fossil fuels and not calories. I’ve taken my skateboard and rollerblades out a few times and although fun, they are not nearly as practical and as fast as a nice road bike.

Please keep an eye out for my bike. I’ve got an extra tan trench coat, sunglasses, and a magnifying glass if you want to help me play detective.

[The Bicycle Thief  is one of my favorite films.  Who would have known it would come back with new meaning to my life.  Coincidentally, it is screening this Monday, March 22nd at the Michigan Theater.  I'll probably go to the screening and cry.]

In other wheeled news, during February, I was shooting a short film in Detroit at Lafayette Coney Island when my car was broken into. It was parked across the street on Michigan Ave and we we’re filming a shot across the street. My car was only there for about 30 minutes when a man came out of a building across the street asked the crew if this was our car. “Someone just broke into it,” he said. I ran across the street in disbelief. None of us saw or heard anything, but sure enough, my back window was smashed. I had several bags in my car with stuff of little value. The perpetrator had pulled a large blue bag out of my car and carried it about 20 feet where they left it after realizing it was way too heavy and filled with electrical cords of little value.

So what was the net utility of that transaction for everyone involved?

Crackhead: Zero. Maybe a negative if they injured themselves in breaking the window. A large negative in the event they could be arrested.

Car: Negative. Broken window = $100 insurance deductible reimbursed by the production. Fixed in one day.

Me: Zero. Fortunately nothing was stolen from me. But it was somewhat negative to drive home on the freeway in the cold with the wind blowing in and vibrating my whole car. Also a logistical negative to get to the film set the next day and schedule to have the window fixed.

Total: Negative. A lose-lose situation. But what does a thief or crackhead know about economics and utilitarian philosophy? In this situation, it seems apparently little. So this past week I had my car windows tinted so that the in the future, someone doesn’t break into my car for a shoebox or some scratched CD-Rs.

A note to all thieves out there: I have very few things of value… perhaps a liberal arts education from University of Michigan… but you can’t really steal that… but that’d be cool though…

Change in Oil: The Obama Gas Station

I was driving around Detroit today doing some pick-up shots with a car mount for a short film. As we rounded a corner, we discovered change with a new gas station: THE OBAMA GAS STATION!!!

WHAT?!!!

I really don’t know what to make of this… The Obama Gas Station currently sells traditional fossil fuels… We can only hope for change in the future with a greater push towards alternative fuels to end our dependence on foreign oil.

I didn’t go inside to see if there were Obama candy bars, Obama cigarettes, or Obama high fructose beverages…

I don’t know what else to say about this so here’s some photos...