Summer Shakespeare Sojourn Subsidy (Matt Harding, 2013): THANK YOU ALL! [Sojourn's End]

Wow!

I'm not really sure where to begin. Please bear with me and forgive what I anticipate will be a somewhat scattered and rambling document.

Oh and if you contacted me over the last little bit and I haven't responded and you are in want/need of a reply, please hit me up again. I took my radio silence pretty seriously and am loath to go back and "see what I missed" as it were.

*shrugs*

In order to help you navigate this mess, I'm gonna follow these bullet points insofar as it is convenient.

Enjoy!

*pew*pew*pew*

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The Blog
Hang Outs
Stats
Kindnesses
Calm
The Next Step

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I've taken a couple of days to veg out and re-connect to my (overly hot, un-air conditioned) life here in Los Angeles. Weird. I've been to a couple of movies in search of AC and haven't accomplished as much as I might have hoped in my re-insertion.

Heh.

Still I have high hopes for today. It's ten degrees cooler for one. Score!

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THE BLOG

This, as you might have surmised, is the last of this regular series of blog posts. If you'd like to keep up with the intermittent follow-ups that will occur (no doubt for years) sign up for the email notifications. I promise to continue to post anything relevant on Twitter with the #ssssmlh2013 hashtag, but I won't post in the event page after today.

Thank your lucky stars.

The business I have to which I must attend today is to report that in a completely unexpected move Johnny V decided to pitch in to "the cause" in hopes that it will help in my "rehabilitation" back into this town. I am certain that it will. Thank you sir!

This was, I would guess, the ultimate donation of the SSSS and brings the total up to 115.3%! Incredible.

Of course that number only includes people who specifically donated hard currency toward this endeavor. If I count all the in-kind, places to stay, good will, groceries (looking at you Dad), rides (i.e. gas $), drinks, meals, and most importantly, time you all contributed, I'd be hard-pressed to produce a specific figure, but I'd guess it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 400%. At least!

Because you are all that generous and that kind.

Thanks. I'm a lucky bastard!

What would I blog about in the future you may well ask. Simple. Hang Outs.

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HANG OUTS

As you have no doubt heard me say many times over, Hang Outs which are owed are valid until redeemed. And yes, I have a spreadsheet. Except for those of you who specifically asked me to donate time to other parties (mainly my folks - which got used believe you me!) - you have time on the books and I will fulfill it in any way that I can.

And then I'll talk about it. 'Cause you deserve the recognition. : D

Just let me know when t's going on (whatever "it" is) and we'll get to it!

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STATS

You may recall the Half Time Report on July 1st, but in the spirit of wrapping up, I, of course, have to "run the final numbers" for some sense of closure, no?

So here goes . . .

As I write this I have had:

This is my 179th post in this forum
9413 page views (1097 in the last month)
90 Benefactors have backed the Summer Shakespeare Sojourn Subsidy
$4036.33 of the required $3500 was received
Ultimately every single day was sponsored - Amazing!
Travel Days were sponsored from LAX -> DAY, DAY -> CHI and MDW -> LAX
Benefactors were mostly from LA (46) and California in general, including LA (54)
There were 13 Benefactors from Chicago and 13 from Ohio with 23 people contributing from outside of those centralized markets
Most of my computer viewers use Windows (47%)
Most of my mobile viewers now use Androids (11%)
The most used browser to see the blog is again Firefox (30%), Chrome was 2nd holding steady (26%)
80.5 hours (3.35 days) of 194 hours (8.083 days) owed to Benefactors have been completed (41.49%) - not bad, but miles to go . . .
The first blog post (2/25/13) is still the most popular with 981 views and 2 comments

Stats with no change

People from 10 different countries have viewed the blog, overwhelmingly from the US
The furthest benefactor donated from Dubai
The most popular donation method remained PayPal with over 50% of backers choosing this method

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KINDNESSES

You've all given me a *lot* to think about.

I suppose there's only so many ways and times I can say thank you, but let me put out a few statements I heard from people this summer that stuck with me. I'm sure there are more, so if you didn't make this list, don't think I didn't hear you. This soup is still churning and all that information is steeping in a beautiful burbling pile of yummy.

So Good.

(Please forgive any paraphrasing.)

Some memorable conversations in no particular order:

SH: "Do you hate acting?!? You're a good actor but you don't act."

MZ: "It warmed my heart to know you were performing this summer. You're a huge talent."

EW: "What's always frustrated me about you is that you're so good at so many things but you don't focus."

BJM: "You're fignerprints are all over my life."

TWH: "Many successful people have made their fortune retooling failures. I think you'll be successful."

And *so* *many* more!

Phew . . .

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CALM

I think the biggest reward from this summer has been a sense of calm. I have a couple of more hurdles to jump (or blast through) before I'm completely on my own time, but that will all be quickly resolved - one way or another. That feels good.

The epiphanies I've had through time to reflect, conversations, advice, challenges and general staring off into space have been simple, profound and very helpful.

I will hold this awarded time close to my heart.

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THE NEXT STEP(s)

I have many plans in mind. Some of you know some of them. Some of you will be part of them. Some of you will fall out of my life. Some of you will fall out of my life again. Some of you will become more important. Some of you will become important again. But regardless of future outcomes, all of you have influenced my entrance into what I'm calling the "Fourth Act."

And I'm good with that. It could be so much worse. You all could've left at intermission and given up or just flaked out in the first place. But you didn't. The fact that your'e still reading this proves that to me.

And like a broken record, I thank you for it!

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Do not underestimate your contribution to this journey, whether it was financial, material, spiritual or simply speculative, you have had a positive impact on my life in a period where I was in desperate need. I try not to spew my emotions all over the internet, but let me be as effusive as I can when I express my gratitude.

My deepest thanks to you all.

Wherever you are, know that it is my heart's wish to see you soon.

Best,

M

PS The next blog to follow if you've been enjoying this one is here. And if you can find a way, please do
join me in Vegas this October. Let's be hella-silly! : D

And don't forget the dates have moved to 10/23 - 29 - ish . . .

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***BONUS***

Here's a few of the Polaroids I snapped this summer . . .