Sophia Bush Official Website
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August 2, 2010
The Run for the Gulf
So … running. When I think about running my brain turns into an athletic commercial. I see feet pounding the pavement in high tech sneakers. Dry fit gear comes to mind immediately. Vibrant colors, taut muscles, and music with great bass. I see beads of sweat forming along the runner’s brow. I envision fists pumping, chests heaving, and the sound of an elevated heart beat.
I do not, however, see my face on the athlete in my imagined montage. I don’t see myself running anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I have always fantasized that one day I would wake up changed. That I would sit up and suddenly think, ecstatically, “I want to go for a run!” There are people like that in the world, so it’s reasonable to think that I could somehow morph into one, but surprise, surprise I have not had that moment upon waking up. Ever. My thought process when my eyes open goes something like this. “I want a latte … with whole milk … and some Agave nectar! Mm-hmm. Oh! And I want to make a scallion, kale, feta, and egg frittata for breakfast. Yup. Heaven.” That may or may not be due to the Italian blood in my veins. Thus I think the next piece of information I am going to share with you might shock you all a little bit.
I am going to run a half marathon this November. Yup. Me. The asthmatic with a years-old knee injury, who hasn’t run a mile since Junior High. No seriously. Since Junior High, as in since I was 13 years old. For the record I am now 28, but thanks to the genes of my kick ass parents (I love you Mom and Dad!) I still get carded when I buy beer for BBQs at the grocery store. Yay for me!
Why would I do this to myself, you ask? Or is that me asking? I’ve been asking myself that question a lot since last Tuesday when I decided to do this. The ‘why’ is the Gulf. And it’s also you guys, really. I got the idea from the King of Crowdrise himself, Edward Norton, who ran the New York City marathon last year to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, a charity that stole my heart many years ago and still has a firm grip on it. Now, I make no claim to be anywhere near as tough as Ed, but I am determined. And in bouncing creative fundraising ideas off of some pals at work in North Carolina, I mentioned Ed’s marathon, and my friend Jane said, “Well, you know there’s a half marathon here in November.” I promptly laughed in her face.
But then I stopped laughing and started to wonder. Could I run 13 miles? Would I make it? Would my lungs make it!? Would I be able to do this? I started to feel crazy and I started to feel scared. I mean, what if I told everyone I would run this race, and then I didn’t make it? What if I had to walk the end? What if I came in last? And then I told myself to go ahead and just shut up. “You wanna run scared?” I asked myself. “Well then you are RUNNING. THIS. RACE!” I strongly believe in doing things that scare you. I like to take jobs that I’m not sure I can pull off. I like to set goals for myself in order to beat them. And I like to confront my fears. Otherwise they take over your life. I confronted my fears about opening up to all of you, and look what’s happened! You have moved me with your love. You have shown me that none of us is alone. You all have proven to me that we can stand united, and we can change the world. All of our Little Voices have begun to add up, and we are making noise! People are taking notice. And people are changing their worlds. So with each and every one of you in mind, last Wednesday July 28th, I got on the treadmill and I ran a mile. And the next day I ran two miles. And on Friday I went to a spin class – no one warned me how hard that would be! --and on Sunday I ran three miles.
Now, these numbers may not seem like a feat to a lot of you. I’m sure many of you could run three miles with your eyes closed. But it is a feat for me. My whole life I have struggled with my ability to breathe. An asthma attack is terrifying. When your airways close and you cannot breathe, the panic that ensues is unlike any I have ever experienced. And when you’ve been debilitated by such attacks since childhood, you begin to avoid activities that trigger them. Don’t get me wrong, I have been blessed to have periods of extreme fitness in my life, where I have worked with wonderful trainers who have whipped my body into fighting shape -- Hello, I wanted to do all my own stunts in The Hitcher! --but I have only ever done that for work. And I have never done it running. Because running scares me. Honestly. I have avoided it at all costs. I have substituted other things for it when I am on fitness kicks, and I have hidden my fear of it from many people. But I refuse to be scared anymore. Each and every one of you that has joined me in this movement, each of you that has reached out to me, has confronted some sort of fear. And we are winning. We are creating change. So I am determined to win. Not the race of course! But I am determined to win this battle with my own fear. I throw myself out of airplanes for fun, for goodness sakes! I should be able to pound the pavement! No matter how long it ends up taking me, I will run 13 miles come November.
So it begins. Week 2 of training has begun. And our group is growing. As of today we have about 12 runners, and as each day passes more and more people are joining up to run for the cause. We are all reaching out to our friends and our loved ones to sponsor us, and hopefully we will be able to raise some more funds for the people of the Gulf Coast. They need all the help they can get. So I am running. For the Gulf. For all of you. Because when my lungs start hurting, and when my legs start screaming “this running business is BULL, Sophia!” I think of all of YOU. I think of the letters I have read on Crowdrise detailing the way you are all newly inspired, and changing the way you interact with the planet. I think of Matt Petersen, head of Global Green, and my green warrior and inspiration. I think of my parents, who, my entire life, have told me that there is nothing I cannot achieve. I think of Beth Galante, of Global Green New Orleans, who stood next to us spouting legal intricacies, refusing to back down when we were threatened with arrest on the beaches of Grand Isle. I think of Elyssa G., a new friend from Crowdrise, who is starting to change her world at 16 years old, and who I know will do great things in life. I think of Heather, and each and every one of you, who made me that incredible video, saying something as simple as “thank you,” that made me weep with gratitude (see video below). I think of all of the love and appreciated and motivation that I am filled with each and every day when we trade letters, and facts, and tips for saving the world online! I think of you guys, and I know that I can do this. I can challenge myself for others when I am having a hard time challenging myself alone.
So over the next few weeks, expect a lot of information about our team and our training. I am going to work on video blogs for all of you, so you can meet the team members and our sponsors, you can see our runs, track our progress, and maybe even run with us, wherever you are! Imagine it. Hundreds, or even thousands of us, running all over the country, maybe all over the world! That would certainly show the powers that be that we will not back down. We will not be quiet. We will make our Little Voices heard!
Look out for my Run For the Gulf project on my Crowdrise page. It’s going to be awesome! And root for us guys. We’re going to need it!
Love, love, love, always.
Sophia
PS. I am so amazed at how many of you have rallied behind this challenge in just a day! Whether you are in Wilmington in November, or anywhere else in the world, we would love to have your support. However, the momma bear in me must ask all of you to please get the okay to run from your doctors! It is a serious undertaking, and I would be devastated if anyone injured themselves, especially in the name of such a great cause! So check in with a doctor, or a trainer, and once you're cleared, please stick to a responsible and gradual training schedule. Hopefully a few months from now we'll all be ready to hit it and do some good! I am so excited. Thank you all.
Thank You! from Heather on Vimeo.
Source: SophiaBush.com
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July 23, 2010
UO, I have been a supporter of your store for many years, but now I'm through.
Ladies! This is OUTRAGEOUS. I hope none of you will stand for being told such a thing, in such a way. Being healthy, eating right, and staying active is one thing. Being told to starve yourselves by a fashion company? Not cool.
Article from the ClevelandLeader.com.
New Urban Outfitters T-Shirt Promotes Pro-Anorexia Movement
Urban Outfitters does admittedly have at least some pretty cool clothes, but if you're bigger than say a size 8 or are anything more than small-chested, good luck finding anything there to fit. I suppose that could be the message of their latest t-shirt, "Eat Less" and maybe you'll be able to buy/wear our clothes.
Perhaps some of the American population could stand to take the shirt's advice, but for those impressionable teens who shop at Urban Outfitters, it's message is more pro-anorexia than anything, especially when worn by an emaciated model.
UO,
I have been a supporter of your store for many years, but now I'm through.
I am fortunate enough to star on a wonderful TV show called One Tree Hill. I play a fashion designer named Brooke Davis, who started a campaign on the show called "Zero Is Not A Size" and the outpouring of love and gratitude that came my way from girls and women ALL OVER THE WORLD who have body image issues brought me to tears.
To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your stores. And I will encourage the tens of thousands of female supporters I have to do the same. I have fought to boycott BP. I never imagined I would also be boycotting affordable fashion.
You should issue a public apology, and make a hefty donation to a women's organization that supports those stricken with eating disorders. I am sickened that anyone, on any board, in your gigantic company would have voted 'yes' on such a thing, let alone enough of you to manufacture an item with such a hurtful message. It's like handing a suicidal person a loaded gun. You should know better.
I sincerely hope that next time you decide that making fun of serious issues is comedic, or 'snarky in a cool way,' that you rethink your decision.
With Sincerity but NO respect,
Sophia Bush
Here is my letter, in defense of all of us who have ever looked in a mirror and felt less than fabulous...
Register on my site and post your messages and other information about this issue.
You can leave your own message to Urban Outfitters here service@urbanoutfitters.com.
Source: SophiaBush.com
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July 21, 2010
The Fanmail "Pay It Forward" Challenge
I want to thank you all so much. Your constant support is so amazing, so overwhelming that at moments I’m not sure where to put my feelings of gratitude.
I receive an unbelievable amount of love from you, my fans, on a daily basis. And recently I was struck by an idea. It began when I had been away for two weeks, and upon returning home, well, to my North Carolina home, I was bowled over by the boxes and boxes of mail waiting for me at work.
First, the actress in me thought, “Holy fan mail Batman!” Second, the environmentalist in me thought, “that is a LOT of paper!!” And third, the number crunching geek in me thought, “that must have cost a LOT of money!!!”
And right then and there my idea struck. I counted the mail. Piece by piece. In every box. I made piles of large manila envelopes containing 8x10s. I made piles of standard envelopes, I made piles of postcards, greeting cards in colorful envelopes, odd sized packages, and even a few gift bags filled with knick knacks and gifts that some of you had personally left at the guard gate of Screen Gems Studios. I then did this with all of the mail that came in during those two weeks to Warner Bros in LA, and to the various offices of my ‘team,’ the Dream Team as I like to call them all, in Los Angeles. When they say it takes a village … trust me it’s true!
And here is what I complied. I receive about 500 pieces of fan mail per month. Yeah. “OMG!!!!!” is right. There are approximately 60 (12%) oversized envelopes (meaning 8x10 or larger), 375 standard ‘legal’ envelopes (75%), 45 greeting cards (9%), 10 giftbags (2%), and 10 miscellaneous gifts (another 2%) – thank you my lovely French girls for all of the fabulous wine!! It is quite an array of stuff when you look at the numbers, isn’t it?!
Now, to dive further into my geek-dom, I went online and searched office supply stores, and checked gift card & postcard racks at stores near me. Here’s where this post starts to look like a MasterCard commercial.
10” x 13” Oversized Envelope:
Postage: Anywhere from $2.50 (domestic) to $35.00 (international)
Standard Legal Envelope: $0.20
Postage: Anywhere from $0.44(domestic) to $2.00(international)
Package of 8x10 paper $10.00
On average there are four sheets per letter: $0.08
Average greeting card: $1.99
Postage: Anywhere from $0.44 (domestic) to $12.00 (international)
Postcard: $2.00
Postage: Anywhere from $0.44 (domestic) to $14.00(international)
Gift bag: $1.00 to $4.00
Scrapbook: on average $14.99
Bottle of Wine: $12.00 - $30.00 Seriously, you guys have brought me some reeeeeeally nice stuff!
Knowing my fans care enough to put in THIS much effort: PRICELESS
So when I add up all of these with the breakdown from above, you all spend approximately $2,250.00 per month to let me know you care! To show me that what I do, matters to you. There are no words to express my gratitude for all of you. Because you let me know that my work, my long hours, my dedication, and days spent sobbing or running through deserts in terribly uncomfortable shoes MATTERS. One letter here, a book of drawings and letters there, it probably doesn’t seem so hard. But look at what it adds up to you guys!! And then my brain really went into overdrive.
I have to be honest with you. My little math project was the most contact I’ve had with fan mail in some time. Not to be a downer in the middle of my soapbox moment, but once you read enough creepy, vulgar, or hideously graphic letters, you stop opening your mail. Period. The rewards no longer outweigh the risks. Because while some of you have written things so meaningful that I’ve been brought to tears, the scary stuff stays in your head far longer than the nice stuff does. And thus for the past few years I have driven my mail to the recycling center, said thanks to the trees who sacrificed for me, and bid them adieu. There is a guilt that comes along with this. A sadness that many of you, and your kindess, must miss out because of a deplorable few. But self-preservation is a strong human instinct, and we actors are a very sensitive bunch, myself in particular. So I heave the boxes of mail into the recycling bins with a heavy heart, but I do it none-the-less. Because of this I have wondered how on earth I could find a way to read your words, the kind and good words, and avoid the unsightly. I am not a person who would ever ask a friend to go through my mail. Nor do I feel right hiring a service, who send back scanned autographs to fans; fakes in place of the real thing. And those seem to be the options. So I’ve been stumped. Until now.
As many of you know, I have taken a leap of faith recently. I’ve jumped. And it was scary to begin, but it has been so so so rewarding. I have opened my life up to all of you in a way I never thought I would because I could no longer bear to be silent. The oil spill pushed me over the edge. And I started to Tweet. And then to rally. And then to rage! And you have all been there with me. And now, Crowd Rise has opened a new avenue. In the past few weeks you have all been amazing, signing petitions and making donations to the causes I have tweeted about. But now, with the ease of Crowd Rise, you have really risen to the occasion. Like an army of do-gooders! Lady GaGa calls her fans her “Little Monsters.” Well you all are my “Little Voices.” You are each a voice, a movement, a power unto yourself. And as we love, talk, share, grow, and educate one another, you take your new ideas and opinions and share them with the world. And our voice gets louder. Our power grows. And from it comes our new positivity.
So my Little Voices! I ask you to do this with me. In the spirit of “paying it forward,” in the spirit of saving paper, and in the spirit of making our voices heard, join me in this experiment. Stop sending paper fan mail. Start making a difference. Whatever you would have spent on a letter, a scrapbook, yes, even a bottle of wine (le sigh), pay it forward! Visit my crowdrise page, at www.crowdrise.com/sophiabush, and donate the cost of whatever that letter, or scrapbook, or bottle of wine would have been. Contribute $2.00, $5.00, $10.00, $40.00, or $400.00!! And post a message on my page. Because I actually read those! And I will see your words. You can post a photo, a story, a favorite quote from my show or one of my movies, and I will see it. And I will smile. And we will waste no paper. We will raise money for people who need it. Because your little voice, your one little letter, adds up to $2,250.00 a MONTH! Imagine if we raised that much, and more, this month. And next month. And every month. Imagine how loud our voices will be then.
I love you guys. I love you more now than I ever have. Because I took a leap that terrified me, and you caught me. And you reminded me of the good in people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have spoken to me, and taught me something that I will never forget.
So please, join me. Make your Little Voice heard. Let’s get loud. Let’s scream and shout. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Ghandi said that last part. I wish I could take credit for that, but I can’t.
Love, Love, Love,
Sophia
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July 7, 2010
First Blog
The strange thing is, I drafted this letter to you all before the spill, but I was hesitant about joining the world of social media. Then it happened. It all feels so much more necessary to me now.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It’s not the start of a new year. Nor is it the eve of any sort of religious holiday that prompts reflection around the globe. But I still feel the surge of motivation, perhaps inspiration, rising.
It seems to me that we as a people need a reason to motivate. A reason to change, a ritual to serve as a jumping off point for being better. Better to our friends. Our neighbors. Maybe even better to ourselves. But why not attempt betterment, aim for positive change, any time? Just because? Simply to take one step further than we did the day before?
I know that I have a real desire to grow and evolve and ‘do’ constantly. Not that I meet it constantly. Not that I always rise to the occasion. I am not saying these things to boast. I am actually telling them to acknowledge that more often than not it is easy to feel inspiration and then get sidetracked. By work. School. Children. Family. Friends. The new box set of Dexter DVDs. The fact that there are only 24 hours in a day. How often I’ve wished for 30 … just six more hours of time to be productive. Because as we all move so fast, spin all day long, sometimes, lots of times, it’s easier to come home and sit still, unwind, than it is to attack the day. Especially when the day is winding down.
It’s taken me an embarrassingly long time to sit down and begin writing to you. Partially, honestly, because I’ve had mixed feelings about being so open. I’m not sure how I feel about this type of social media, about this type of access. But I finally realized that there are things that we can all share that are founded in something good. Not something voyeuristic, or egotistical, but something else. An ‘it’ that you feel when you have a great discussion, be it with a friend or a stranger. I want to have more discussions. And there are some things I have decided I would love to discuss with you.
I make no claim that my opinions should be yours. I make no claim to know more or less than anyone else. But many of you, a very kind group, have asked me questions that I am going to attempt to answer. And my hope in doing so is to spark a dialogue. Between us, between you, and also for me. All I ask is that we treat each other with kindness here. There is a saddening and prolific pattern on the internet of faceless typers insulting one another, being cruel, and saying things that cut to the quick of people. I will not support that. If you want to be cruel to me or anyone else who posts here, then simply look away and spread your negativity elsewhere. It will not be tolerated here. The only things welcome here are provoking ideas, thoughtful contributions, and good will. And hopefully with these things we can inspire each other. Hopefully we can open each other’s eyes, teach each other new things, and prompt one another to do just a bit more with our spare time. A bit more good that will affect us and those around us. Let’s pay it forward people. Let’s inspire each other. Let’s discuss.
Sincerely Yours,
Sophia
