this one's a pointless ramble.
The past 14 years I've had Shelter Valley running in my blood.
Even that first year, though I couldn't be there (I had a wedding to sing at) it was all I could think about.
It has been the weirdest of adventures.
From being thrown a job with no details on how to do it- and pulling it off in a magnificent way, to being told "you're kind of young for this other position, you'll likely not take it seriously and will move or something, I think you should volunteer in some other way".
ha.
I always did my best.
Except when I didn't... I mean, I'm human. I let deadlines slip like any other person.
The last 4 years have been exhausting.
2014, I bought a ticket for the festival I loved so much. I took a break from the work of building a festival. I watched from the sidelines and stepped in to moderate where I could.
2015 had me sick with stress, over the moon with excitement, second guessing everything I did, slightly star struck with the people I was meeting and interacting with, sweating with stress, head in the toilet with stress. More proud than I'd ever been before in something I had done. And heartbroken over the way it all happened. I remember opening the gate for the public to come in on festival day: music was playing, people were dancing, there were tears of joy from volunteers and ticket holders. I had to run behind a tent, I couldn't stop gagging.
2016, a year of growth and excitement.
2017 more heartbreak and stress.
2 more months and this festival chapter closes at the AGM and a community concert.
I hope the joy outweighs the stress when we look back.
I think it does.
What does community look like?
How does it shape you?
How do you shape it?
The past 14 years I've had Shelter Valley running in my blood.
Even that first year, though I couldn't be there (I had a wedding to sing at) it was all I could think about.
It has been the weirdest of adventures.
From being thrown a job with no details on how to do it- and pulling it off in a magnificent way, to being told "you're kind of young for this other position, you'll likely not take it seriously and will move or something, I think you should volunteer in some other way".
ha.
I always did my best.
Except when I didn't... I mean, I'm human. I let deadlines slip like any other person.
The last 4 years have been exhausting.
2014, I bought a ticket for the festival I loved so much. I took a break from the work of building a festival. I watched from the sidelines and stepped in to moderate where I could.
2015 had me sick with stress, over the moon with excitement, second guessing everything I did, slightly star struck with the people I was meeting and interacting with, sweating with stress, head in the toilet with stress. More proud than I'd ever been before in something I had done. And heartbroken over the way it all happened. I remember opening the gate for the public to come in on festival day: music was playing, people were dancing, there were tears of joy from volunteers and ticket holders. I had to run behind a tent, I couldn't stop gagging.
2016, a year of growth and excitement.
2017 more heartbreak and stress.
2 more months and this festival chapter closes at the AGM and a community concert.
I hope the joy outweighs the stress when we look back.
I think it does.
What does community look like?
How does it shape you?
How do you shape it?
