I’m not exactly a part of Benedict’s fandom, as you might know already, but I never pass on the opportunity to help this kind of campaign whenever I can, and I come across him and his fandom often enough to love the energy. Last year I did 40 things for Benedict’s 40 and The James Effect (a similar project that happened a day later), but here’s the thing: since then I had an awful experience, and I want to share that to tell you how that changed my view on what we’re doing here.
Earlier this year I had an awful experience just outside a theatre with literally a line of fans (not Benedict’s, and I’m not naming anyone because it isn’t the purpose of telling this at all) who could have helped someone who was desperately in need, and I knew could and would have if someone like Benedict asked, but everyone chose to ignore the situation - I was literally the only one who tried to help and I had to risk deportation (from London, where I was to do my job, to Brazil, where I live) and major legal problems because while I tried to calm down a breathing, living human being they called the police in hope to remove a victim of domestic violence from the front of the theatre (a public space). I’m no hero. I understand what and why that happened, but never in my life I want to see someone in that extreme situation and not only be unable to help more but also watch dozens of people fail to have any kind of empathy. I can tell the whole story in its details, but my point here is: kindness can’t only happen when someone as amazing as Michelle creates a project like this. Empathy has to be the default, or else we’re lost.
That’s why this year I changed my strategy. Instead of going through the list of sugestions the project offers, I made a point to do two things: 1) Keep my kindness acts for today only what I already have planned on my volunteer work. 2) Make it a goal to thank people who have been kind to me through this year when there was nobody else watching.
Please note this is one of the most beautiful projects I came across, and the reason why I like this fandom in the first place is because I see its acts of kindness every single day, even in my brief contact with it. I just mean to bring attention to what we do outside it as well, and remind myself and others that the world is a better place because there’s people out there who would have joined me and not that line of... Unkind people.
So, here it is, a particularly busy but ordinary day in my life:
1) I helped painting my mother’s studio. It’s a small place for her to start her crafts, which she managed to rent thanks to a campaign we did on Facebook.
2) I studied for my training with CVV, which is a Brazillian center that provides free support through various 24/7 ways (e-mail, online chat, skype, phone, in person) in order to help prevent suicide. I couldn’t publish any part of the training online for obvious reasons, but I can help anyone looking for more information about the volunteer work.
3) Started my art class for kids as a part of my volunteer work. Since I can’t post pictures of the kids or their work, I asked my sister who joined us for today’s class to make a BatchofKindness card, and she drew David Bowie.
4) Made a cake for a friend who was celebrating her birthday today.
5) Made the script for a video to thank Lexi Alexander (nobody tweet this to her, it’s still a secret!). Not only she has been an incredible inspiration over the years and always kind on her advice for me to become a filmmaker, but she learned I don’t have a phone or a camera at all to start (all the pictures on this post belong to people who were involved in my acts, I asked them to take the pictures and they sent them to me, hence the difference in quality) and offered/insisted to send me one. She is one of the most amazing people I have been lucky to meet online and there aren’t enough words, honestly.
6) Wrote letters to Robert Cargill & Robert Icke, who have been the kindest to me. I’m still not sure how the letters will reach them yet, but Cargill has offered the right advice at the right time and just generally being the best guy you could hope to meet, and Icke took his time to talk to me despite working nonstop for Hamlet, not to mention the fact he’s the director young people need in Shakespeare - well, anyone needs, really.
7) Took my grandmother to get her meds through public health care here in Brazil. My country has a number of problems, especially after a coup and so many awful things happening, but thanks to previous administrations she has all the support she needs 100% for free here to treat her in her second battle against Cancer.
Sadly there was nobody around us to take a picture, but we do this often enough that Google Street View has our back (that’s us in the front, not sure who’s behind us haha):
8) Bought roses for a few of the incredible women who surround me every single day - my mother, my grandmother & one of my teachers.
9) A number of smaller gestures: hugs, borrowing books, offering a shoulder to cry on, spending time with friends and family, making a playlist for a friend who will have a long car trip, (...)
10) Had a moment for myself to recover after a long week, in the spirit of selfcare. Since I didn’t have a way to take pictures, here’s an old one for each of the greatest ways of selfcare I know: friends, nature/travelling, theatre and music.
Happy birthday Cumberbatch, and thank you BatchofKindness for always restoring my faith in humanity.
xx Buss
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