This past weekend, Sebastian and Heather represented our film in Houston and accepted a Platinum award for Best Short Documentary. I got a text from them late Saturday night and was beside myself with happiness. The makes 7 film festivals and 9 laurels. Such a surprise for us. We had no idea that we’d get this far.
While the awards and recognition have been nice, the four of us – Sebastian, Heather, me and Bob – have experienced a wide swath of emotions over the last eight years with our film. It’s been a wild ride. Joy, exhilaration, sadness, fear, impatience, but mostly, and I think I can speak for all of us, gratitude. We have been fortunate to have Bob’s amazing story to share with the world. Our dream is that more of the world would experience it. And be changed to move towards openness and compassion for those who we perceive as different upon first glance.
Our experience reminds me of the story about Mother Teresa and an aide worker. He showed up in Calcutta to help her with her leper colony. When he looked inside and saw the overwhelming crowds of suffering people, he said, “I can’t help all of these people.” She replied, “You can’t help all of these people. But you can help them by helping one at a time.”
It’s kind of like Bob. If one person meets him and/or sees the film and is changed, then that’s a small step towards changing the hearts and souls around us.
So in the end, while the awards are nice. Our film, our experience, is about so much more than this. It’s my prayer that while we can’t change everyone, that we can change a few people—and ultimately the world around us—with small, Bob baby steps, one right after the other.