Thursday, July 9, 2015
Endurance_PSYCH_3380_Motivation
When I began reading this book, I was immediately hooked. I love to read adventure/survival stories because they remind me so much of my military service. In survival situations a person never knows what he/she is capable of until their life is on the line. I was an Infantryman and served for 8 years with 2 tours to Iraq. When I think about my deployments then compare them to the book, I am surprised at how similar and dissimilar my life was. Granted I went through some "event" that changed me forever, but never was I in a horrific situation like Captain Shackleton and his crew. I never had to eat dog or rub blubber over my body to stay warm, but I did have to use baby wipes to shower with because we didn't have running water for 3 months. I can understand the struggle those men went through, and I think it is a great reminder that not only Veterans can be heroes but everyday people can be as well.
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I want to thank you for your service to our country. As scary as the story in the book is, I wouldn't mind taking a journey to the south pole since we have better communication today.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for me personally to identify with the struggles that Shackleton and his crew have experienced. I think its great that you have the ability to identify with the strong need for survival that the men in this book have also experienced.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a similar experience to compare it too. As I read the book, I wonder, how do we convince our minds to forget about the future and live in the present? I would think that to survive you cannot think about what if.
ReplyDeleteI too was in the service as an active duty member for five years at Ft. Hood, and I know exactly what you mean about the baby wipe shower. Most people don't know how refreshing it even feels after just doing something as simple as cleaning your skin. I did not quite have to resort to such drastic measures, but I have eaten my fair share of MRE's which get easier to eat over time especially when it is all you have.
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