Show Notes:
Can we please find better alternatives then the military for young adults to experience risk, adventure, mission, and purpose?
3 books on what draws young adults to the military
Dr. Jordan was inspired to do this podcast after reading three books: Tillman: Where Men Win Glory; Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer; a soon to be published book, Blue Star Grit, by his friend Ginny Luther about her son Bart’s military experience.
Pat Tillman: Where Men Win Glory
Pat Tillman was an active, intense, rambunctious kid who loved roughhousing, being loud, taking risks, and was constantly in trouble for his behaviors. He walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals NFL football team to join the army after the 9/11 attack, becoming an icon on post-9/11 patriotism. The fact that Pat believed the Iraq war to be illegal and about false reports of weapons of mass destruction did not prevent him from wanting desperately to get into the fight, face the enemy fire alongside his comrades, to prove himself in battle, and become a part of a rarefied warrior culture. Like many young men, he had aspired to engage in mortal combat since being a little boy, itching to confront the enemy firsthand and prove themselves under fire. Sadly, two years into his service he was killed in action from bullets from his own troops, unleashing a government coverup.
Jon Krakauer: Into Thin Air
Jon Krakauer joined an expedition to climb the summit of Mt. Everest, despite the large number of fatalities of past climbers. Much of his motivation for the climb came from his belief that achieving the summit of a mountain was tangible, immutable, concrete; the incumbent hazards lent the activity a seriousness of purpose that was sorely missing from the rest of his life; “I thrilled in the fresh perspective that came from tipping the ordinary plane of existence on end.”
Another climber, John Taske, wrote that, “When I left the military, I sort of lost my way. I discovered I couldn’t really speak to civilians; my marriage fell apart. But when I started to climb, the sport provided most of what had been missing for me in civilian life, the challenge, the camaraderie, the sense of mission.”
Kids who are born with a temperament of RISK-TAKING, intense, active, adventurous
Dr. Jordan describes the temperament of many natural born risktakers: independent-minded, intense, risk-takers, physical, restless, active, love the outdoors. These kids are often described as: hyperactive, wild, can’t sit still, out-of-control, impulsive, ODD, not listen, don’t like to be told no, want things their way, intense, stubborn, willful, like a wild colt kicking against the slats of their corral.
Stories of adventurous youth who changed the world
This podcast shares stories of people who fit this description who ended up as incredible, successful, trailblazing adults, including Elizabeth Blackburn, the 1st woman to be president of Salk Institute; Loretta Lynch, the 1st African-American woman to become US attorney general, as well as his two sons and one of his female campers who created adventures for themselves.
Find better opportunities for kids to experience risk, adventure, and purpose
Dr. Jordan asks that we look for opportunities for our kids to take risks, have adventures, and make their own path. He describes several programs such as Teach for America, Peace Corp, Well Aware clean water not-for-profit (http://wellawareworld.org/join), listen to an interview with the founder of this NFP Sarah Evans on Dr. Jordan’s podcast from 8-18-22, and Woofing ( www.wwoof.net )
There are other, better alternatives than the military for young adults to experience risk, adventure, mission, and purpose; help kids find them and start as a culture valuing these experiences and people.
The resources Dr. Jordan offers can be found at: www.drtimjordan.com