The story behind the video.
I am utterly overwhelmed and humbled by the response to this video. At the time I am writing this, it has amassed over 2 million views on Facebook with thousands of comments, messages, and emails to go along with it. I think it’s time to share the story behind this viral video for those who are interested.
***The video has since garnered nearly 100 million view***
I recently was honored with YouTube Next Up. As part of the award I was invited to YouTube Space LA to a one week film school boot camp. We were to film a video there, but no kitchen was available. I was at a loss for what I could possibly film without a kitchen. And that is when the comment happened. It didn’t hurt my feelings and it didn’t surprise me either. Lots of people have commented about my gray hair over the years and I have never been ashamed to share my reasons. I decided to answer the nasty commenter and then share the comment and answer on my personal Facebook page. The response from my friends and family there was overwhelming. At that moment, I knew what my video project would be.
The video was filmed at YouTube Space LA with the assistance of four amazing people (Jay, James, Jerry, and my mentor Julie). I wasn’t sure that I would ever post it anywhere, but used it as an opportunity to experiment with filmmaking and storytelling. I had a script and tried filming that. My amazing friend Jerry told me I needed to do a take where I just spoke from the heart. There I was in a dark room with lights glaring in my eyes. I couldn’t see anyone, just a glint of reflection from the camera lens. I spoke to the camera, to an unknown audience, but mostly to myself. And that’s what you see above.
At the end of the week we screened our projects on a movie theater screen with about 35 people as an audience. I held my breath as mine came on screen, wondering what everyone’s response would be. I felt so naked and vulnerable. It was all so raw. I had no idea I could hold my breath for three and a half minutes! The response from my fellow YouTube creators was overwhelming. They were so encouraging and demanded that I post it. It took me a number of days to actually share it on my YouTube channel. I ended up deciding to share it on Facebook as well at the last minute. I was doing a fundraiser for some friends who are adopting a baby and all the traffic to my blog was being donated to them. I thought the video might generate some more traffic for them. I had no idea that the video would end up being viewed by millions.
The response is humbling. I get comments, messages, and emails of support every few seconds. I am making it a point to read every single one simply because I want to make sure each and every story is heard. I don’t know that I will ever be able to respond to them all and I apologize. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. I have spent the last several days at my kitchen table reading all of your words. I have wept with you. I have laughed with you. And I have been deeply enriched by the entire experience.
People have created a hashtag (#bethatperson) and the message of self love is spreading. BBC has written an article about the video, and people are campaigning to reach The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I don’t even know what to say. I am at a loss for words. How do you respond to accidentally creating a movement like that? I surely don’t know! What I do know is that I am deeply touched and forever changed by this experience. Thank you. That is all I know how to say.
A small note: To the many sincere desires to help my medical condition: Thank you for your concern. I am currently very happy with my current treatment and am not interested in the many offers I am receiving for medical advice.
You Rock! You are such an inspiration!! We should all work on loving ourselves and others like you do. You’re right, we don’t have time to criticize; it’s such a waste of time and love. Thanks for your message and encouragement. It’s ok to age and be who God made us to be! Blessings to you and yours
Thank you! I am willing to rock and I am happy to be that person. I am going natural so that my daughter can be that person. The transformation isn’t easy, I see the looks; I am also thankful that the man in my life loves me for trying to be that person. Without the soulless marketing campaign of chemical companies compensating from the public’s insecurities, we would all look “natural” while keeping our environment more “natural”; we could all benefit from simply being ourselves and loving ourselves.
I just saw your video and I just loved it! I wish I could be your neighbor. The world needs more people like you. I am a mother of seven boys. Raising them takes its toll, and sometimes that means gray hairs for me as well. I’m in my thirties and I don’t really want to color my hair, so I’m just letting it do it’s thing. What an uplifting message. It was just what I needed to hear today!
I have juste seen your video, shared on facebook and I am so grateful for your amazing testimony. I wish more people would think like you and your husband. Regarding “grey hair” and everything (ageing, signs of age, etc…) I am also blessed with a husband who thinks like yours. I am 36, have a lot more grey hair than you, and I don’t feel old, I just feel “me”. As you said, there’s a lot more to do than wasting time criticizing other people or yourself, we should better share love and strength. Keep up!
I am very lucky like you to have a husband who loves me even when my gray is showing or my weight is higher than I would like. He too told me I did not need to dye my hair for him because he loves the way it looks. Most of my life I was told I was fat, and ugly. It takes a long time to stop believing that is how you look when you hear it all the time. Thank you for being brave to share your story. I think you are beautiful and THANK YOU for putting into words what I have felt most of my life.
Thank you for having the courage to share this video. You have educated many. God’s best blessings to you!
I am inspired by your honesty and forthrightness! You are beautiful, AND the grey streaks in your dark brunette/black hair remind me of one of the distinguishing characteristics that attracted me instantly to my husband when he was 35 and we met.
And now that I know about you, I look forward to following your recipes. Thanks for speaking out with healing words of encouragement!!!
When I read the title I thought to myself WHAT? Why in the world would someone say such an awful thing, you look beautiful and gray hair, where you had to point it out and even that it is beautiful, gray hairs, i call them my highlights . You are beautiful on the outside and inside and it shows, this person who thought it was her duty to say such a ugly comment, is obviously not a very happy person and is very insecure to have to put down others to lift herself up. All we can do with people like that is pray for them, cause in reality they are the ones hurting. You hang in there and continue to cook and love life.
Dear, talk about this till this subject finish by itself and you start to laugh about it. Repeat it and repeat it till you get tired and start to laugh about this. Try this with your husband. Purge it from you. After this FORGET it, forget the person. Karma will go QUICKLY to that person. And the lesson will be teach to him and her. It’s is not a revenge, it is YOU cleaned and the other one learning how life can be a bitch with those behave like a bitch. <3 BTW I have a lot of grey hair, and I don't care about what people think. They are MINE!
YOU are BEAUTIFUL an d YOU ROCK!!!
I saw the video. What a beautiful person you are! Thank you for sharing!!