with wide eyes, i romanticize.

2010-03-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a dreamer, I dream of dreaming.

2010-02-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that some of my fondest memories are those in transit. I've done my greatest thinking, come to the most profound conclusions, and felt the most inspired when my body is moving at rates man was ever meant to move. Because I long to feel the way I do in that state, creative, confident and going; sometimes I have a guilty conscience as if I'm almost always in a removed state dreaming of somewhere more ideal I could be. This is not entirely true, however, as when I'm headed to the least ideal of places I still maintain the romantic sentiment towards the thought of my body being propelled to any port of call. And when I am in the most picturesque of situations, I do not discard them for something more, I embrace them. I have to intertwine myself with the moments that make me feel because sometimes it's not so easy to be reminded why you're who you are. The sights of the stars and the city lights, the sunsets and the red-eyed nights capped with contemplation make certain of the possibilities this world still has for me. When the world is passing by my eyes or under my feet, I lean my head against the window to isolate the issues, close my eyes to feel their weight. The sting of the adult life no one wants to lead is lessened, the stimulation of the rats racing amongst the metropolis is nullified, there are no salesmen selling their sales and I set my sails for sweeter scenery. I exist in a parallel metaphysical universe in which my ideals are not lost in the day-to-day drudgery of the lesser parallel. Said drudgery is jettisoned, rendered an incompetent blur, inconvenient and insignificant. This existential existence; plans and projects, forward-facing and progressive; prospects for the future are paramount to this pensive state. Chasing these fleeting intensely introspective moments, the ones that keep me breathing and ensure blood flowing through these veins, give this life it's intrinsic worth. This movement brings idealism closer and gives me the strength to hold tight to dreams; I'm a dreamer, I dream of dreaming.

twitter

2010-01-28T01:23:00.001-08:00

When "#sheprobablyahoe" is a trending topic, you are officially dead to me. A menial social network that capitalizes on America's short attention span seems to have come to an apex and is on the downward slide. What used to be a really good arena for conversation on meaningful events in the real world has been been captured and dumbed down by the general public. To me, the moment Captain Sully landed his plane in the Hudson was when Twitter gained notoriety and lost some of it's luster. Before crews could gather their cameras, helicopters and reporters and race to the scene to cover and broadcast said incident, a user took a photo of the plane in the river and tweeted it. That day a trending topic had beat the big stations to the story. From then on, I looked to trending topics for information on news stories people were actually talking about and I read what the general public had to say. It was always interesting to see what mattered and what really didn't. People like Nancy Grace never had a place in trending topics, because she never talks about anything people cared to hear. It was sort of democratic news source.

Just a few short months later, I've given up on it. I knew it was over for twitter when a couple nights ago I saw a local news station cutting to a field reporter who, under her name, had her twitter name show up basically saying, "follow me!! i'm important." What was once a way to provide a real connection between users is now turning into a way to drive traffic and ultimately make money. I'm beginning to see a parallel between twitter and myspace. Myspace is still a means of connecting with friends but you have to navigate through a lot of ads and spam. But, why bother when facebook lets you do that better? I think Twitter still has some merit for sharing of information like relevant news stories from non-profits. Again, It's similar to Myspace Music, I'll get on myspace to look at tour dates and check out a few songs but I won't be a member. I'll get on twitter to look at what some of my favorite non-profits are talking about, but the same information is generally available on the Facebook fan pages. I think I'll take a hiatus from personal tweeting for a while. I'll never forget you, Twitter, because you were there for some very influential times in my life. but, our fond days have come to an. Goodbye, Friend.

An open letter to Florida friends and family.

2009-12-20T04:36:00.000-08:00

I love you. But, I think tough love is in order. Some wonder why I don't revere my homeland and am utterly disgusted at the thought of the town in which I grew up. I think the answer lies in a single word, inspiration. Being home for a week, a week that happened to come at a time when I've done some of the most growing as a person I could do. I visited home to see that absolutely nothing had changed. Frankly, I was reminded exactly why I left in the first place.

"This is the place where dreams come to die." I found myself repeating that line time and time again while trudging the main drag that feeds in and out of the mild civilization called Jacksonville. If you know me, you know I'm a dreamer and I'm going to figure out ways to make this world conform to make it mine. I may be an unreasonable man, but I am unwilling to accept the way the things are. So, I'm going to do something about it.

I recently watched a brilliant movie about the coming of age of bright young girl in Britian. At one point in the movie the girl was having it out with her father, or perhaps her lover who was quite older than she. In any case, the following words came from her lips; "Character is action. You're nothing if you don't do anything." This 16 year-old girl so perfectly summed up the sentiment I hold in regards to those I care about and call my friends at home. Take from it what you will, but I am urging you to do something, leave this world a better place than you found it. I'll leave it at that.

Sincerly,

Eric Andrew Mackey

more of the same.

2009-12-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

I answered these questions and agonized for days over these words. I did this on two different occasions, both with the same result. At times, I've thought this stuff to be some of the most inspired and deepest analysis of myself.

1. Who are you? Please describe yourself?

A.I'm spontaneous and I love adventure. I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people and doing things I've never done before. I love music, but am particular about which acts I'll say I'm a fan of. I'm inspired by musicians who progress in their music and keep pushing the boundaries of their sound. I'm a romantic and am strong willed. I love standing at the feet of something vast and taking it in for the beauty it holds whether man-made or natural. In a moment of reflection, when I see something exemplary on such a grand scale, It reminds me how small I actually am. for example, I could stand at the top of the Spaceneedle in Seattle embracing the city below me backed by the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound while the sun rises and not move until it sets again. In the same way, I could watch people come together at a concert moving together, singing the words, enjoying the music and I'd revel in that moment. It's the same with looking at art and untouched landscapes. I live for intense moments like these and at the same time, I enjoy harvesting a connection with another individual or a small group of individuals through a intimate, honest conversation. Gaining new insight and different perspectives or creating something with words and/or sounds makes me feel like I'm doing something worth while. I actively seek out experiences that I know will have a profound mental and emotional impact on my life and believe them to be a vital part of who I am.

I'm an idealist and I've been reminded of how much I yearn for the oppourtunity to be in the presence of magnificence because for the last two weeks I've been working a job as a retail robot to make money to have the chance at being a roadie. I remember what it's like to feel nothing and dislike every second of it. It really puts in perspective what it means to me to be applying for this position. Lately, I can't help thinking of who I am in terms of money and how it shapes each and every one of our lives. As a 24 year old, society dictates I should have something in terms of starting a career and building a future for myself. When put into this context, I'm a failure for the most part. I'm broke, but I've never been happier or more grateful to be alive. So, the way I look at it, I've done a lot of things right. I've earned a degree that helped me expand my mind, a major that I thoroughly enjoyed studying. I have been to a lot of places and met a lot of great people. In a direct correlation, I'm so very thankful for my mother who has given me literally everything she has to be able to pursue my dreams and encouraged me to do so. If it weren't for her I would never be in this position. I'm extremely lucky to have such a great support system. Since i've been so far from home and working for free, I've learned a lot about how I prioritize the money I do spend which, in turn, has made me second guess the need for most material things. I've also reassessed what is important for me to be happy and flourish in this life. In the end I believe myself to be rich in the things that truly matter to me: love, memories, family and friends. I'll take them to the bank.

This past summer I was lucky enough to travel to Lake Tahoe and Baltimore for free to cover music festivals for my internship. I interviewed a lot of festival goers and musicians on the subjects of social change and volunteering and gained a lot of perspective on how people from outside my circle of friends think about these issues. In addition to those I interviewed, I spent the last four months with a group of people all devoted to change in many different arenas. It's been inspiring to see the causes people are fighting for and the creative ways they're doing it in their jobs each day and on their on time. My internship has played a big role on who I am and how i've changed over the last few months. Another example would be, I've recently become a vegetarian because I've learned about the impact the factory farming industry has on the environment. What was even more shocking than the facts about the environment impact was the treatment of the animals and the health implications eating meat has as a result of said treatment.

In closing, I believe in random acts of kindness and embrace my shortcomings. I'm open in admitting mistakes i make and I try to be as honest as i can with myself in the way i feel about the things happening around me and the things I'm doing. I don't lie because I have nothing to hide, we're all human with capacity for compassion. I think if there is a crux to who I am and what I've done, it's honesty.

B. i'm 24 and i'm finally doing something meaningful with my life. i'm a visionary, and a romantic, i thrive on ideas of how I could make this world a more beautiful place to live. i'm skinny and tall with a heart of gold. i'm a thinker and a believer, though not religious. i believe in the power of a group committed, confident kids. even though, we're not kids anymore. i'm a leader, a comedian and a listener. i'm an adventurer who can find a friend in any crowd and make any crowd my friend. i'm selfless and an artist, but a humanitarian first. i'm an only child and a momma's boy but, i'm okay with that. i've never been in love but, have so much love to give. i have nothing to hide, i'll spill my heart to anyone willing to drink it in.

recently, i moved to california from florida. i pointed out my physical journey in my video but, not my psychological one. where i lived in florida was in the heart of the southern culture where rebel flags and prejudice are accepted vernacular. while it has grown a little away from that, the south is still very conservative. progressive causes aren't of high importance to many of the people that surrounded my youth. so, when i first started doing work and volunteering my time to raise awareness about children in uganda, it was shocking to some. even though this generation is different from the preceding ones, many still have judging eyes. for a person to put themselves out there to be judged by people that surround them is a little bit tougher in the south. therefore, i was admittedly shy, afraid of being judged, in some arenas when it came to spreading the word about these amazing kids in uganda. now that i'm in california, i find myself being more willing to talk to random strangers, speak in front of large groups and have people listen to their story as i tell it. i guess i'm saying my psychie was fractured and now that i don't surround myself with the culture that brought about those old habits i can reinvent myself into a better person even more committed to being the change i want to see in the world.

2. How did you become familiar with IC? What has your previous involvement been?

The 2007 spring roadies came to Florida State and swept me away in a whirlwind. I laughed, I cried, I saw a hopeful spirit in this young generation in their eloquent, inspired speaking. for the rest of the spring, I purchased the innocent bracelet and a copy of the rough cut in which I held a few screenings in living rooms. When displace me came around, my best friend got married on the day of the event. So, to do my part, I covered campus in the displace me 'every war has an end' posters. Then, in the fall i saw a facebook group entitled 'Invisible Children at Fsu', I went to the meeting and the next three semesters were spent raising money and awareness at every chance presented. We showed the faces on the Ugandan children to every interested Florida State student. In the fall, I was appointed Secretary and the Spring, Director of Awareness. In the summer, I held a screening alone. I graduated and then as soon as I got settled in LA, I emailed kyle and she sent me to mia to whom i gave all the time I possibly could. I volunteered all my time to making the LA rescue the best it could be. As soon as I heard about the Rescue Rider bus at a meeting, I jumped at the opportunity. Little did I know it was going to be the single greatest experience of my life to date. I also attended lobby days where i got the chance to be straight with congress and their staffers. My friend, and I had a meeting where just the two of us got the chance to engage a high ranking staffer, unscripted. We told him why we felt Joseph Kony needed to be stopped and what it meant to us. I wrote an article before Lobby Days for Causecast as well as a follow up. The first one can be found here (http://www.causecast.org/news_items/8615-invisible-children-how-we-end-this) and the follow-up, here (http://www.causecast.org/news_items/8714-how-it-ends-you-say-well-i).

3. When did social justice become a priority for you?

The Ethics classes I took in college challenged me to analyze issues I had never given serious thought to before. This just so happened to coincide with my first time seeing the rough cut. At the time, Abortion was a major part of my coursework. in class we were talking about a person's right to life and how every human being is born with certain inalienable rights no matter their situation. I came to the conclusion that I am against abortion because every child should be given the chance to rise out of any set of circumstances. This particular type of social justice issue and abortion are fundamentally similar because people are being denied their right to life. Over the last few months social justice has been propelled to the very forefront of my priorities, even more so than ever before. The further I inquire into the subject, the more I want to help perpetuate change amongst the issues i feel to be the worst; human rights issues. this summer I was involved in meetings once a week where a group of ten or so would get together to discuss how past change-makers had achieved great things and what we need to do to close the gap between the quality of life we hold and the manner in which some peoples are living without such freedoms. Two quotes from these meetings stuck with me and they run through my mind nearly everyday: 'If you have come to help me, then you are wasting your time. but if you've come here because you believe your liberation somehow bound up in mine, stay and let us walk together.' In the same way, martin luther king said, 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere' in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Learning about injustices in the world and making a connection with people who are constantly trying to change them has had a great effect on my growing into who I am today. These meetings inspired me to get out and do something to make a difference: inspire someone else, shake things up, and make something happen.

4. Why are you applying for this position? What makes you a good fit?

A. In the week I spent on the rescue I slept a roughly 18 hours and showered once. I got home and, in reverie, I realized I had tucked all of myself away for a week and lent every fiber of my being to doing everything I could to make sure the events were executed as smoothly as possible. i embraced leaving myself behind as i think everyone involved did for that week and every roadie does for their tour. it didn't bother me, it didn't even really occur to me that i hadn't showered. i was focused on fighting injustice along side my comrades and taking in the experience. i think i'm a good fit because i love to be inspired by activisim and in turn inspire others. i have the ability to role with the punches and be comfortable and flexible in any situation. i, also i believe i possess that warm, outgoing and approachable demeanor required of a roadie. most importantly, i love working in a team setting and losing myself in something with a greater endgame in mind than self-advancement. i'm applying for this position because this was the first cause i ever took on. i've learned so much about so many other causes and organizations, but i always come back to this one. invisible children will forever hold a special place in my heart. no matter my status with the organization, i will continue to support this cause until uganda is a safe and thriving community.

B. on my way to california from florida i stopped in austin, texas, as you know. i stayed there for five days one of which was tiffany's birthday. tiffany was the roommate of my friend jordan who i was visiting, a girl i'd met previously, however briefly. she said of me, to jordan, 'i admire him because he can talk to anyone. he can make people feel comfortable like they have known him for years even if they'd known him for just five minutes. he can be friends with anyone.' i believe this one of the most important qualities a roadie for invisible children needs to have because we have to turn every single person we encounter into a believer. it's that outgoing, approachable demeanor i've seen in every roadie i've met that i think i possess as well. that being said, roadies need to be able to wear many different hats. i think a roadie needs to be a leader and a good friend to his/her team at the same time. during the rescue, i saw in myself a leader and a comedian. in every city i made people laugh and lead them in consecutive breaths. i lead a group cartwheel in down time in LA and later i lead the march of four thousand. i organized a game of duck duck goose during lunch the same day that I lent my voice to thousands instructing them to put their pictures on the boards. in san francisco, i scouted out and arranged a beautiful speaking platform for mayor brown. in chicago, i led a group tunnel which was a lot of fun, then helped organize people for a head count. leadership and accountability are two things a roadie needs that i have. i think a roadie definitely needs to have a love for adventure and has to be comfortable in almost any situation. a roadie is comfortable in his/her own skin. a roadie loves the open road. a roadie is a chameleon. a roadie is a good fit in every scene. i am all of this, i am a roadie. i'm a good fit.

5. If accepted, what are you personal goals for why you are here?

A. I've mentioned how I enjoy getting myself out of my comfort zone as i believe it to be the best way for us to learn the most about ourselves and grow as people. I've also stated how I feel it's good for the soul to throw ourselves into something bigger than us. Being a roadie would be the greatest way to combine these two beliefs and be humbled by the stories of devotion and creativity I'm sure to come into contact with. That being said, my lone personal goal is to come out the other side of this experience a better person with a wide new range of experiences.

B. the obvious answer to me is to further the cause of the kids in uganda. it's because of my profound believe in the power of education that i want to further their cause. every child has a right to an education, it is up to them what they do with it. these kids need to have access to the same education that nearly every other child in the world does. i love school for schools and i want to donate my time in africa, to teach. that being said, i love to see people getting excited about helping other people. honestly, it's the reason i got into this organization in the first place. it's what brought be to tears at my very first rough cut screening. when people are doing amazing things to help other people and are so excited to do it, it hits a soft spot. also, i believe there is still disenchanted youth out there who believe their voices are muted in the real world forum. i want to inspire these kids to strive to make a difference. i want to show them their voices are heard loud and clear. it doesn't matter what cause they set out to change, i want them to put confidence in their ability to alter the course of history as the spring '07 deep south roadies did for me. as a roadie, i also want to develop life long relationships with my teammates, like i did with the amazing group of rescue riders. personally, i want to make memories, change lives, inspire others and be the amplification of voices unheard.

hello, welcome.

2009-12-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Six years ago around the time I graduated high school, I had chat with my distraught girlfriend lying on the back of her car, staring at the stars. It was a conversation far from romantic. We talked about life and where we saw ourselves, as individuals, in the next five years. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to know every detail of the rest of her life. She wanted to know where she would be living, who she would be with and in what school she would be teaching. I recall telling her that the most exciting part about that moment was having absolutely no clue where I'd be in five years. I take it to be the most blissful aspect of my young adulthood because the possibilities are endless. This is the opening number to a show that I am putting on for you to get a little more of an insight into who I am and why I do what I do. This is also for me, as a writer, to chronicle my experiences and reflect on the way I feel / look at life at a particular moment. In five years if / when I'm in a completely different place in my life I can look back and recall the exact sentiment these words were written with. So, this is me in motion, living my life. this is my progress, remembered.