Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Wegener Media, a short history

Computer whiz Wedge.

Between Wedge and Robert, I think we have finally achieved success and I hope to be editing tomorrow sans constant lock ups.

I met Wedge the same night I met my husband. It was late, and the guys were installing a lighting system into a church when my friend Scott and I showed up, looking for a place to crash before our Charlotte film tranfer the following day. I'd heard that church is a good place to meet a husband, but that is a story for another post.

Suspecting nothing, I got into the back seat of the car Wedge was driving and immediately found myself screaming as he did donuts in the street. It was 1992.

Despite his nearly wearing my dinner that day, we've remained friends. Wedge spent much of his time overseas, running sound for a music group with Proclaim. At times when he called, we would hear booming sounds in the background. He would be a mile from the front lines of some Croatian battle, but the sounds of the bombs still came through the cell phone. I envied his life of bribing border guards, drinking bad beer and staying with people in other countries.

When occasionally State-side, Wedge lived in our guest room. It was there that he started his Mac computer business, supplying rebuilt machines for people around the globe and helping me build my first edit system. Eventually, the computer parts stacked precariously to the ceiling pushed out the door and he moved with them to a small house. He married a woman who really did not appreciate wading through piles of mother boards in the bathroom. So, Wedge rented a building the size of a Piper airplane hanger, and filled it with Apples.

Whenever I visit Wegener Media, I fight an intense desire to ignore my computer issues and instead create the mac daddy of installation art.

an amazing woman

Last night, a friend dropped by to return some Cuba footage. She told me some news about the missionary, Marigold Cheshier, whom we worked with in Kenya. Marigold battles cancer. She has fought cancer for many years. Lung cancer, breast cancer, and I'm not sure what else. Doctors constantly tell her to stay home, take chemo. She won't do it. She goes back to Africa and people pray for her, and she makes it through yet another trip. While in Africa, she lives in cheap hotel rooms or tents. She works with people in the slums, and she builds churches in Masai villages that want them. Last night, I learned that two tumors broke through her skin and that her trip to Kenya is delayed because of the open wounds that she must pack and dress daily. Her son and husband went back to Kenya, and she hopes to follow them in a few weeks.

Marigold inspires me.

I interviewed her for hours in a jeep one day while we traveled South of Nairobi. This morning I played some of the interviews while feeding Zion breakfast. Please let me know if you like it and want to hear more.

Click here for interview.