Oh man, that whole “smartschoolboy9 chasing kid video” idea. I still kinda chuckle and shake my head when I think about it. Sounded like pure gold in my head, you know?
I was going by “smartschoolboy9” online back then, felt pretty sharp, thought I had the Midas touch for viral stuff. The plan was super simple, or so I believed. I’d get my little nephew, Leo, to do this hilarious, over-the-top run. I’d film it, maybe add some cool slow-motion, slap on some trending audio. Bam! Internet fame, here I come. Easy peasy.
How It Actually Went Down
Well, first problem: Leo. Kids, right? He had his own script. “You gotta chase me for real!” he’d yell, then he’d zoom off, but always, always, away from the decent sunlight I’d tried to set up in my sister’s backyard. So, yeah, it turned into me, a grown dude, actually panting and stumbling, trying to keep up with this little energy ball. Not quite the cool, composed director vibe I was aiming for.
- My camera skills? Let’s just say “shaky” is being generous.
- My instructions to Leo? He mostly ignored ’em.
- Leo’s performance? He was genuinely having a blast being chased, not so much “acting” for the camera.
The “chasing” part was definitely the most authentic bit. At one point, I full-on tripped over a rogue sprinkler head I didn’t see. Went down, not gracefully. Managed to save the camera, thankfully, but my dignity took a hit. The final footage? It was a masterpiece of blurry grass, a fleeting glimpse of Leo’s shoe, and a lot of my own heavy breathing sound. Total bust.
But Here’s Why That Silly Video Attempt Stuck With Me
You’re probably thinking, “Dude, it’s just a goofy home video that didn’t work out. What’s the big deal?” And yeah, on its own, it’s nothing. But this whole filming disaster happened during a time when I was trying to get this other, much bigger project off the ground. I was trying to launch a small online shop, selling handcrafted leather keychains. I’d sunk a fair bit of my free time and some cash into it.
I’d spent weeks learning basic leatherworking from online tutorials, bought the tools, the leather, set up a little table in my garage. I really thought this was it, my cool side hustle. But man, it was one problem after another. My stitches were always a bit crooked, the dye jobs were splotchy, and getting decent photos of the keychains was harder than filming Leo. I remember one customer, bless their heart, said their keychain looked “charmingly rustic,” which I’m pretty sure was code for “a bit rough.”
That disastrous kid-chasing video day? It was like a mirror reflecting my keychain struggles. Me, chasing this idea of success, stumbling over unexpected problems, and ending up with something that was, well, not quite what I’d envisioned. It sounds dramatic, but it really made me stop and think. Am I really cut out for this whole “make stuff and sell it online” thing right now? Or am I just chasing something without a proper plan, like I was chasing Leo around that yard?
I didn’t become a keychain tycoon, obviously. Packed up my leather tools after a few more tries. Sometimes, you just gotta realize that chasing a particular dream, whether it’s a viral video or a business, isn’t working out the way you hoped, and it’s okay to change direction. That day with Leo, covered in grass stains and with zero usable footage, taught me more than any business book could have at that moment.
