Or, if you don't necessarily enjoy writing, maybe you take photos, compose songs, or make scrapbooks.
A couple of Red Bull Rising readers recently proposed some sort of collective effort, in which we could share our thoughts and words about the current deployment of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division (2-34 BCT).
I've since been playing around with various ideas, but nothing has really stuck. I just realized, however, that I don't have to be the one to do all the thinking. After all, y'all are a heck of a lot smarter than I am. Or maybe I should say, we're all a lot smarter together than we are individually.
I'm going to throw a couple of things out there, just to get the conversation started:
This project would potentially involve:
- Red Bull spouses, as well as other family and friends
- Red Bull employers
- Red Bull soldiers who are currently deployed
- Red Bull veterans and alumni
- Share tips on collecting family deployment histories, or keeping in touch with soldiers downrange.
- Workshop on writing, photography, art and/or crafting techniques focused on the deployment.
- Submit our project(s) in whole or in part for archiving in the Gold Star Museum, Camp Dodge, Iowa.
- A potential need to keep some names and places temporarily obscured for security and privacy purposes, both home and downrange.
- A format that allows any level of participation--one-time, weekly, monthly, etc.
There are probably a hundred reasons why you shouldn't participate, but a single reason why: You and your loved ones are making Red Bull history. It would be a shame to let those experiences slip away into fuzzy memories and forgotten Facebook posts, and I'd love to help put people and stuff together.
Let me know what you think! Put your ideas in the comments section to this post, or on the Red Bull Rising Facebook page!
I think this is an excellent idea! Every one of you is making history, and it should be written..
ReplyDeleteI'll look forward to reading/hearing more on this as it evolves.
Thank you, Charlie.:)
What a great idea.
ReplyDeleteFacebook for day-to-day communications, a blog for displaying creative efforts.
I'd probably put it on WordPress. It just seems better suited to large collective works like this.
Also, yes.... why not run workshops with the goal of simply helping people to express themselves through a creative medium? Since it seems the RedBulls are somewhat centrally located, you'd probably get a good turn out, plus it's a lot more fun than a standard FRG meeting.
About mid-way through, you could collect things for a POD anthology. A keepsake for everyone to remember this time by. Manuscript could be ready by the time they come home, with pod after you include their arrival into the anthology.
Could work. Could be a lot of fun.