Not how I planned to become famous but oh well, I guess?

I have somehow landed myself in the middle of a good news story that’s already been published in one online paper, with serious interest from CBC (Canada’s BBC/NPR) — for their web, radio AND TV — as well as the Toronto Star (the most leftie* of our Canadian national newspapers, and therefore the one I read).

This has all happened because of a whim I had a few weeks ago. It is kind of delightful and honestly the news we need in These Times — partly because DEAR GOD THE REST IS GRIM, and partly because it is showing the power of community, which is the only thing likely to save us**. Here’s the story:

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I go down the weird secret corridor in my local mall.

It leads to my cobbler’s. I don’t know this man — we’ve met maybe 5 times — but I like his vibe. He’s chill, often has a friend around, and he has integrity: twice I have taken him shoes with a hole that he has refused to fix. He’s told me (in his beautiful Eritrean accent, the kind where he perrrrfectly rrrrrolls each R),

“Any mend I make will not last. I refuse to try.”

I don’t believe him, and drop $30 at another cobblers, who does a mend which lasts exactly one week before it breaks again. Another time, I decide I don’t NEED to spend money fixing my child’s only slightly broken sneaker, so I buy some “Shoe Goo” from him. Just before he rings it up, he looks at me with a raised eyebrow and calmly says,

“Gonna fix it yourrrself?”

SIR, HOW DARE YOU (the Shoe Goo has sat on my sideboard, untouched, for over a year and my kid’s sneakers remain broken. He called it exactly right).

Anyway, on this December afternoon, I’ve brought him my favourite winter boots, to see if he can fix a small hole in the heel — he can. Then I ask, “The zip is about to go, can you do that too?”

He looks sad and points to a giant hunk of silver metal in the corner.

“I can’t. My patching and stitching machine is broken. It’s from the 1950’s and the manufacturer told me the parts to replace it don’t exist. To get a new one would cost ten thousand dollars.”

As I walk away I think, I wish I had a spare 10k I could buy him a machine with. When I go back to pick up the boots, I ask, “Why don’t you do a fundraiser? I bet you have loads of customers that love you! You can just set up a website and ask for donations.”

He lowers his eyebrows and says,

“Is this legal?”

I explain that it is, that I’ve run a couple before for friends who had medical expenses and that, if he wants, I could bring in my computer (he doesn’t have one) and set it up.

So we do.

When writing the GoFundMe copy it, I know it needs a story — this is what I teach, after all — but honestly, I DO NOT KNOW THIS MAN. So… I just tell the story about my broken boots. I figure ANY action scene is better than no action scene. And I am right:

Without much promo (I posted it in one Facebook group), we get to $1500. Then Toronto Today interviews us both (honestly, I learn more about Alazar from this article than I have from the scant amount of time I’ve spent in his company).

Then I make an instagram post. As I write, we’re at $3,311. Now I’m having fun thanking everyone.

(I started writing my full name because you never know which one of them might want speaker coaching or work somewhere that they might hire me for a workshop. ABM! Always Be Marketing!!!!)

What I love most about all this is the Eff You to the culture of individualism that I fear around us.

So far, we’ve had 68 donations. I know a handful of those people, I imagine Alazar knows a few. But most are total strangers, who just understand that community matters. And that a lot of people each making just a small effort can have a big impact.

THIS is how we make the difference. Tiny acorns and standing up for each other.

The storytelling lesson today? Use action scenes. They work even if you CANNOT think of a way to make them exciting.

The life lesson? People are still good. Keep the faith. Show up for each other.

Any thoughts, responses, smilies, let me know in the comments below!

You rule!

xx (Yes Yes) Marsha

PS here’s the donation link if you want to donate and/or share it: gofundme.com/f/buy-alazar-a-new-patching-machine

PPS if you have a keynote or presentation you want to write or improve — or you work somewhere that you’d like me to come and run a workshop — let’s chat. Here:

PPPPPPS want my free guide to the magic bullet for captivating storytelling, along with free coaching via email on storytelling and writing captivating presentations? Join the Yes Yes Family — it’s FREE! Just pop your details in below and I’ll ship the guide over***:

***you can unsubscribe whenever you like because, clearly, I am not the boss of you

*low bar, to be fair

**I was DEEPLY moved by this short post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DThCdVkjK3B/
which talks about how community is the reason anyone even saw The Video, and how community has continued to show up in MN, and that the “authorities” in question are starting to buckle against it. Power to the people! And thanks, brave people of Minnesota!!!!