Oncology Youth Connection: Portland Shoot.

Can you imagine being a kid and being diagnosed with cancer? It’s difficult enough being an adult.

I’m in Portland with Lyon Films shooting a video to help people better understand cancer.

I’ve been hired to do the interviews, which is not just a job for me but almost a hobby. The fact that is has to do with cancer makes it a gift.

The Schoolhouse Factory (Ristretto Roasters) in NW Portland is the location of the shoot. It’s a new coffee shop in the old School House Electric Company building.
A very cool place and until 10:30 tonight it’s ours. Let’s see, so put me in a coffee shop, talking with survivors of cancer and working on a great project with friends…..….. that’s as close to Heaven as it gets …..Add a micro brew and I’m there.

Not My Game

Last night we went to a Baltimore Orioles Baseball Game. I’m not a huge baseball fan but when I was a kid my parents took me to a Washington Senators Game and I had a great time.

So for memory sake I thought I should do it. The crowd was……not a crowd. The Ravens also played last night and they played a great game. In Baltimore football rules.

We started our night at the Pickle Pub across the street from the stadium. $4 pulled pork sandwiches, $2 canned local beers and loud music.

As we arrived at the stadium a guy was standing there handing out free tickets to the game. I didn’t ask where he got them we just took the tickets and walked in (I think they were comp tickets).

We sat behind a group of guys from Canada who were drinking too much and were cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays. At first they were irritating but as the game dragged on they became almost more entertaining than the actual game. They were a group of high school friends on a “mancation” (man vacation). Several of the guys had wives who were about to have babies and they wanted to take one last trip before fatherhood sets in.

So what do I take from this adventure? You don’t have to over plan your life. You don’t have to do something you like to enjoy what you do. But you do need to do whatever it is with people you like.

Lights, Camera, Action.

Here’s a little behind the scenes look at a day in the life of a documentary film crew. The day starts with loading up equipment. We have lights, a very expensive camera, monitors, cords, computers, disks and a bunch of other stuff. We shove that and five half grown men in a mini-van and drive around D.C.

It’s sort of like going on a camping trip, but the trip only lasts a few hours and then you pack it up, put it away and start over the next day.

We also scout out locations for shoots scheduled for later in the week. We have some amazing places to film.

While Kevin, Devon and Ryan set up the room, Rick, that’s me, looks over last minute questions, checks out backgrounds of the interview subjects and Josh takes pictures and gets his still camera ready for extra shots as he prepares to put together a story about the film project for his web magazine Wired Oregon.

Once the interview starts it’s pure magic. Today we interviewed Jim Towey a former Hatfield Staffer who also worked for Mother Teresa.

The best quote of the day for me personally was when Towey spoke of what summed up Senator Hatfield.

This was his answer: “It was not the ballot box, but Judgment Day that guided Mark Hatfield’s life.”

Tomorrow we will conduct at least five interviews and I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.

The more we get involved in this project the more important it becomes.

A City

When you live in a small town, yes Eugene/Springfield is a small town, big cities can be overwhelming and yet very exciting.

We’re sitting here in downtown Washington DC where the tallest building is not a retirement home or the Hilton Hotel.

I live in the country and love it. But there is something about a big city that excites me. Sure, there’s tons of traffic and lots of people, but it’s refreshing to see vibrancy and movement.

There are big cities that I think are ugly. I won’t list them but I could. DC has its ugly side and it can be a bit depressing because of the poverty and dirty areas of town.

But when you get downtown, where the monuments rise high above the landscape the new buildings sit next to historic buildings it’s wonderful.

I think Kathy and I could actually end up in a big city.

My Thing: Senator Hatfield Documentary

We all have our “Thing.” That “Thing” that makes us come alive. Yesterday, sitting on the rooftop of Portland StateUniversity, I was reacquainted with my “Thing.”

I’m working with Lyon Films, a production company out of Portland, on a Documentary on Senator Mark Hatfield. www.hatfieldfilm.com

It’s a look back at the senator’s life, through the eyes of those who worked for him. Our first interview of the day was a former staffer named Mike Salsgiver. Right off the bat we discovered a connection (That happens to me all the time.) Mike and my youngest sister Dana used to work together.

The next interview of the day was Senator Ron Wyden. I’ve interviewed Wyden many times over the years he is always gracious, well spoken and helpful.

And the last interview of the day was former staffer Rick Rolf. He had some stories that are sure to grab your attention.

Listening to these men speak about issues, historic moments and past events is simply amazing to me.

The more I learn about Senator Mark Hatfield the more my mind slips back and forth between hope and sadness.

Oregon needs another Mark Hatfield. We need a leader who cares about Oregon first, people second and politics last.

But part of our leadership failure is our fault. We the voters expect super humans to stand up and run for office. We want people who will do what we want not what’s best for Oregon. We are looking for puppets and I think that’s exactly what we end up with.

There are some good political leaders out there. I’ve been talking with a few for this production. But we’ve created a highly partisan climate in politics today and I’m not sure we would recognize a Mark Hatfield if he were standing in front of us. Unfortunately, we’d find something wrong and destroy them before they ever reached greatness.

So there I sit, on this side of the camera, asking the questions to uncover the secrets to greatness. I hope when this documentary is finished that Oregonians will watch it, see what is possible, and maybe do what Mark Hatfield did, put the needs of Oregon, first.

Three Inches From My Face

There he is standing there. I’ve never met him. I don’t even know why he’s at my mother’s memorial service. There’s intensity in his eyes and in the words that pour from his mouth. He speaks as if these may be his last words. I have trouble understanding him because most of the words are mumbled. As we talk I discover why. This man has had several surgeries on his mouth for cancer.

I don’t remember every word he said but I remember listening so carefully wondering to myself whether this was really a man or an angel. His eyes would not let go of mine as he said things like “God is all over you Rick.” Others were standing in line, waiting to say something to me, but I was glued to this conversation, afraid I might miss a message from God if our eyes broke the stare.

I do not know how or why God allows what he does. I have no idea what connections He makes or how He organizes my life. But I know He sends messengers to prepare the way and I think this man was part of that process.

I got an email last night from a man interested in “The Hatfield Project”, a documentary I am working on with a production company out of Portland. As I read the email I discovered, its author is also the man who heads the company that developed the Calypso Radiation Process, the same process I will begin next Monday. Lyon Films (the production company) is creating a documentary on the Calypso Process, following me through these procedures.

How does this stuff happen? I’m overwhelmed by the grace of God and His ability to produce fruit in a life scared by cancer. So, as I head into this process, I find moments of fear but they are almost overshadowed by great moments of awe. I serve an amazing God and He’s got my back.