Author Topic: Collect Something Awesome!!  (Read 8409 times)

jordanread

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Collect Something Awesome!!
« on: August 21, 2014, 02:01:30 PM »
Yeah, I figured that topic name would make you look. :P

This idea came to me over the last few weeks of bike commuting. I bought a GoPro a while back for an ongoing project, as well as for fun. Since I started bike commuting, I mount it on my helmet and record my commutes. After the first few times, I started wondering how long it would take before I could cut all of the commute videos and have something fun or cool happen every section of my commute. I was going to just see what happened organically, and haven't been disappointed (i.e. couples holding hands, some people dancing, back flips, deer, high-fives, shadow boxing, people helping other people, etc). However, with the fact that biking makes me so damn happy, I find myself with a perma-grin while on my bike. This has a tendency to make people smile back.

So the other day, I decided that I am going to start a collection. Not of video (even though I usually get that, too), but of smiles. I know, it sounds corny, but I've had so much fun this week doing it, that I thought I'd post it here as a challenge. Every time I pass someone, I nod, I smile, give them a compliment, tell them a joke (uphill only usually), make a random comment, or laugh maniacally and ask "Isn't this awesome?!?! Woohoo!!"

This is a very "open to interpretation" gauntlet, but I'd like to see what this community comes up with. What are you going to collect, how, and how would you measure it?

For me, I'm collecting smiles. Maybe next month I'll collect funny faces. Right now, I'm pretty pleased with about 80% success every trip.


eil

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2014, 03:52:16 PM »
You've collected another, then.

Nancy

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2014, 04:17:06 PM »
I wish you were on my commute!

I'm going to collect funny reactions. Where I live, people aren't friendly to strangers, and they do not make eye contact or in anyway acknowledge the existence of other humans in the wild. So I'm going to smile and say hello to people during my bike commute and see how they respond. If people are nice to me that'll be a bonus. I get no points if they completely ignore me.

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2014, 04:30:04 PM »
I wish you were on my commute!

I'm going to collect funny reactions. Where I live, people aren't friendly to strangers, and they do not make eye contact or in anyway acknowledge the existence of other humans in the wild. So I'm going to smile and say hello to people during my bike commute and see how they respond. If people are nice to me that'll be a bonus. I get no points if they completely ignore me.

Make it what you want!! Funny reactions are a good one. What do you mean by funny, though?

lizzzi

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2014, 06:09:01 PM »
:D   :D   :D   :D   :D  :D   :D   :D   :D

Retired To Win

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2014, 06:31:15 AM »
I am taking your challenge a little more materially.

My awesome collections (to me, at least) are my 300-book-plus history library, my 40-figurine-plus horse display, and my 200-DVD-plus video library.  Yes, I know, all very un-mustachy.  BUT all accrued very inexpensively (for example, less than $3 bucks per DVD) and all paid for out of my bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund.

And I am taking your challenge to mean for me to go collect one of each of my 3 obsessions in the next 30 days!  :D

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2014, 12:25:45 PM »
I am taking your challenge a little more materially.

My awesome collections (to me, at least) are my 300-book-plus history library, my 40-figurine-plus horse display, and my 200-DVD-plus video library.  Yes, I know, all very un-mustachy.  BUT all accrued very inexpensively (for example, less than $3 bucks per DVD) and all paid for out of my bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund.

And I am taking your challenge to mean for me to go collect one of each of my 3 obsessions in the next 30 days!  :D
Not sure you are going to get much support here for that, but if you are challenging yourself to spend less than you usually do, it might be different. Just saying. If you've caught fire already, that's slightly different. Good luck.

sol

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2014, 12:30:38 PM »
Does my ever-growing collection of interest-bearing assets count?

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2014, 12:34:33 PM »
Does my ever-growing collection of interest-bearing assets count?
That is pretty awesome, so I don't see why not. Not really where I was trying to go with this gauntlet, but such is life on the inter webs.

Nancy

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2014, 07:26:58 PM »
I wish you were on my commute!

I'm going to collect funny reactions. Where I live, people aren't friendly to strangers, and they do not make eye contact or in anyway acknowledge the existence of other humans in the wild. So I'm going to smile and say hello to people during my bike commute and see how they respond. If people are nice to me that'll be a bonus. I get no points if they completely ignore me.

Make it what you want!! Funny reactions are a good one. What do you mean by funny, though?
Anything that makes me laugh. So far I've gotten the huge eyes/eyebrows lifted/chicken neck look, followed by a smile. Or the looking over the shoulder pointing to their chest question mark face look, followed by a smile. Love those. I also love accents. The "how ah ya" "gud mahnin". It makes me weirdly happy.

socaso

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2014, 07:24:44 PM »
This reminds of something I've been doing for decades. I started handing out compliments to people as a way to combat some social anxiety I used to have and I guess you could say I've been collecting their happy faces all this time. It only works if the compliment is sincere and thoughtful but when you give the compliment you realize how infrequently people receive them because they are usually so shy and pleased.

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2014, 10:11:15 PM »
This reminds of something I've been doing for decades. I started handing out compliments to people as a way to combat some social anxiety I used to have and I guess you could say I've been collecting their happy faces all this time. It only works if the compliment is sincere and thoughtful but when you give the compliment you realize how infrequently people receive them because they are usually so shy and pleased.
Wow!!! Thank you for sharing that. Have you noticed any changes in your life since doing this?

Retired To Win

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2014, 08:25:36 PM »
I am taking your challenge a little more materially.

My awesome collections (to me, at least) are my 300-book-plus history library, my 40-figurine-plus horse display, and my 200-DVD-plus video library.  Yes, I know, all very un-mustachy.  BUT all accrued very inexpensively (for example, less than $3 bucks per DVD) and all paid for out of my bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund.

And I am taking your challenge to mean for me to go collect one of each of my 3 obsessions in the next 30 days!  :D

Not sure you are going to get much support here for that, but if you are challenging yourself to spend less than you usually do, it might be different. Just saying. If you've caught fire already, that's slightly different. Good luck.

I have been on FIRE since 2003.  And my total passive income is 250% of my basic living expenses.  So...
(Oh, did you catch my reference in my previous reply to my "bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund"?  I wasn't kidding. :O )

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2014, 11:40:18 PM »
I am taking your challenge a little more materially.

My awesome collections (to me, at least) are my 300-book-plus history library, my 40-figurine-plus horse display, and my 200-DVD-plus video library.  Yes, I know, all very un-mustachy.  BUT all accrued very inexpensively (for example, less than $3 bucks per DVD) and all paid for out of my bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund.

And I am taking your challenge to mean for me to go collect one of each of my 3 obsessions in the next 30 days!  :D

Not sure you are going to get much support here for that, but if you are challenging yourself to spend less than you usually do, it might be different. Just saying. If you've caught fire already, that's slightly different. Good luck.

I have been on FIRE since 2003.  And my total passive income is 250% of my basic living expenses.  So...
(Oh, did you catch my reference in my previous reply to my "bursting-at-the-seams discretionary fund"?  I wasn't kidding. :O )
Yeah, I saw some of your other posts, understanding your position. I was going to comment, but I forgot. :-P No offense intended.

gildedbutterfly

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2014, 12:38:08 AM »
What are you going to collect, how, and how would you measure it?

I'm going to collect examples of people operationalizing variables in casual conversation. Just got my first one! ;)

Seriously, though, kudos. You've just made a bunch of people's day(s) brighter: not only the people on your commute, but all of us here, and all of the people we'll make smile/laugh/operationalize/etc.

citrine

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2014, 07:54:40 AM »
I collect rocks from different places and have them in my massage studio :)

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #16 on: August 28, 2014, 08:26:59 AM »
What are you going to collect, how, and how would you measure it?

I'm going to collect examples of people operationalizing variables in casual conversation. Just got my first one! ;)

Seriously, though, kudos. You've just made a bunch of people's day(s) brighter: not only the people on your commute, but all of us here, and all of the people we'll make smile/laugh/operationalize/etc.

That's the idea. :-) Considering I usually lean towards misanthropic tendencies, it's amazing how much fun this is.
I collect rocks from different places and have them in my massage studio :)

That's pretty cool. Each one with a story. After I catch FIRE and do some travelling, I've thought about 'documenting' the places I visit by making a Hikaru Dorodango. I always thought that would be fun.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 08:28:53 AM by jordanread »

BooksAreNerdy

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #17 on: August 28, 2014, 06:37:54 PM »
Yeah, I figured that topic name would make you look. :P

This idea came to me over the last few weeks of bike commuting. I bought a GoPro a while back for an ongoing project, as well as for fun. Since I started bike commuting, I mount it on my helmet and record my commutes. After the first few times, I started wondering how long it would take before I could cut all of the commute videos and have something fun or cool happen every section of my commute. I was going to just see what happened organically, and haven't been disappointed (i.e. couples holding hands, some people dancing, back flips, deer, high-fives, shadow boxing, people helping other people, etc). However, with the fact that biking makes me so damn happy, I find myself with a perma-grin while on my bike. This has a tendency to make people smile back.

So the other day, I decided that I am going to start a collection. Not of video (even though I usually get that, too), but of smiles. I know, it sounds corny, but I've had so much fun this week doing it, that I thought I'd post it here as a challenge. Every time I pass someone, I nod, I smile, give them a compliment, tell them a joke (uphill only usually), make a random comment, or laugh maniacally and ask "Isn't this awesome?!?! Woohoo!!"

This is a very "open to interpretation" gauntlet, but I'd like to see what this community comes up with. What are you going to collect, how, and how would you measure it?

For me, I'm collecting smiles. Maybe next month I'll collect funny faces. Right now, I'm pretty pleased with about 80% success every trip.

Awesome! I love it!

Nancy

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2014, 07:46:46 AM »
Today on the commute, a gaggle of 2-3 year olds in daycare were waiting to cross the street. The boy in the front waved at me, pointed at my bike, and then gave me a tiny thumbs up before smiling. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

RMD

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #19 on: September 27, 2014, 09:03:47 AM »
This has made my day!  Last weekend my 6yo son had his face painted at an area event...he chose Spider-Man.  Then we ran errands.  The comments from adult males were AWESOME! A lot of, "Hey there, Spidey!" and covert thumbs-up. My son loved it...and so did I!

Happy Little Chipmunk

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #20 on: September 27, 2014, 10:04:55 AM »
Love this!

As a person who has trouble with face-recognition, I compensate by smiling at everyone. After all, it would suck to ignore a friend and have them feel "snubbed." Upside is I get a lot of smiles in return and have nice conversations with lots of people. Downside, I'm a goofball. I can live with that.

DesireeD

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #21 on: October 04, 2014, 07:14:06 AM »
   My problem is poor eyesite, so I too smile at everyone in case they might be someone I know. People are so very friendly towards me! It has the effect of making my optimism gun a machine gun.

cavewoman

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #22 on: October 04, 2014, 07:31:09 AM »
Absolutely Fabulous!

Are you going to compile this into a video online paired with complimentary music that is guaranteed to make me cry happy tears?

I was in Oklahoma City on a trip, taking a walk early in the morning before my travel-mates woke up.  I saw people on their way to/from work, walking their dogs, etc. Every. Single. One. said hello, good morning, how are you doing.  I've never forgotten that morning, community with strangers (however brief) is a powerful thing.

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2014, 01:52:40 PM »
Absolutely Fabulous!

Are you going to compile this into a video online paired with complimentary music that is guaranteed to make me cry happy tears?

I was in Oklahoma City on a trip, taking a walk early in the morning before my travel-mates woke up.  I saw people on their way to/from work, walking their dogs, etc. Every. Single. One. said hello, good morning, how are you doing.  I've never forgotten that morning, community with strangers (however brief) is a powerful thing.
I most likely will. I'll definitely post it here when I do. I'm probably going to couple it with summer through fall commutes too.

fireferrets

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #24 on: October 30, 2014, 08:15:44 PM »
Hehe, we borrowed our cousin's bikes when we were on their side of town and one of them had a horn. When we toured the neighborhood, my bf would honk the silly horn - he must've got a dozen grins. Next time we're in their neighborhood, we're going on a repeat adventure. :)

jordanread

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Re: Collect Something Awesome!!
« Reply #25 on: October 31, 2014, 08:25:44 AM »
Hehe, we borrowed our cousin's bikes when we were on their side of town and one of them had a horn. When we toured the neighborhood, my bf would honk the silly horn - he must've got a dozen grins. Next time we're in their neighborhood, we're going on a repeat adventure. :)

The GF has a silly horn on her bike, and uses it with glee!!