Model - Mentor

" ... my dad was a Korea-era vet. Hunting camp was an annual ritual that included him and his buddies from the army sitting around the campfire and telling stories. I think a lot of growing up in many cultures is guided by stories around a campfire. You can learn the skills of hunting, but you model the attitudes. ..."  - Rory Miller Chiron Blog: 3 - Way

When I read this I felt a tiny bit of sadness. Not for Mr. Miller as I also felt a bit of envy but for me for unlike Mr. Miller, assuming by this short quote, I had no model when I was young. The details are not important. I had to find my own model's. I had one in high school, my math teacher who took no shit from me. I had one in Jr. High, audio visual teacher, who also didn't take my crap but in a way that showed respect.

In the Marines I had one particular, although there were many others, who was a model, mentor and Sensei. Sgt Maj Warner Dean Henry now retired in the stumps of southern California.

I consider myself very lucky to have the personality I have although a bit crude at times, most times. It has allowed me the gift to see things that normally might fly by like a breeze on a warm summer day at the beach. Maybe his indifference, my father/family, was a type of model for it left me alone, stranded and without a foundation which spurred something inside that in lieu of just doing nothing resulted in me doing something - positive.

I guess I should feel grateful for that much even if the intent from him was not there, he simply didn't give a shit about anything but himself. I guess I have to say his indifference influenced me to get up and move.

I do this monkey brain stupid chatter thing once in a while saying to myself, "What if I had a dad who took me camping with his friends and told all these stories, etc.?" Would it have had a significant impact to how I lived my life? Yep, monkey-stupid-chatter that I must let flitter by and go its way like a summer breeze at the beach.

I just had this thought, is this possibly why I took up training/teaching/mentoring in the Marines, in Karate-jutsu-do and why I blog all this mental stuff? Maybe, and if so and if just one person benefits then I would say - Yea, cool.