Resilience Factor 6: Role Models

Navy SO1 (SEAL) Marcus Lutrell is the only survivor of Operation Red Wings, the single bloodiest day in Navy SEAL history when 19 SEALs, including three of the four-man team of which Luttrell was a part. I should mention that while I am opposed to the bulk Luttrell's politics, I consider every war ever fought to be a disaster and his resilience, in my opinion, is unquestionable. The Operation began on June 27th of 2005. Luttrell would not be rescued, with multiple broken bone, including some in his spine, multiple gunshot wounds, and in and out of consciousness, until July 2nd. This kind of loss, tragedy, being surrounded by so much death of not only his colleagues and friends but of those that were killed by the SEALs and American forces, is conceptually impossible to understand, from the vantage of my fairly privileged life. Yet Luttrell not only recovered from his wounds, he returned to active duty, following his own moral code, and , after a medical discharge in 2009, started the Lone Survivor Foundation. This foundation's goal is to, "Restore, empower, and renew hope for our wounded warriors and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support," (Luttrell, 2020). One of the moments from his survival feels like the perfect metaphor and pathway to resilience. In a pivotal moment during his escape, Luttrell made the active choice to not die. He packed his open wounds full of mud, grabbed a nearby rock, and drew a line in the dirt. Then he told himself, “Marcus, all you have to do is crawl to that line.” (Luttrell & Robinson, 2007) He crawled to that line and then he drew another line in the dirt and made it to that one, and so on, and so on, until he found himself in relative safety. That seems to be the key. Small, attainable steps, that over the course of time and effort, less you to safety. To somewhere else. Towards maybe not the life you had before, but a life that moves forward all the same.

Luttrell, M. (2020, April 22). The Lone Survivor Foundation. Lone Survivor Foundation Website. https://lonesurvivorfoundation.org

Luttrell, M., & Robinson, P. (2007). Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (1st ed.). Little, Brown and Company.

I would say that a role model of mine is my grandmother, who experienced an earthquake in Iran. She is my role model in various different areas, such as her strength and resilience in the face of many challenges in her life starting from when she lost her father when she was four years old. One time her and I were in an earthquake together in Tehran. I was in elementary school. I remember looking at the ceiling and watching the large chandelier in her living room swing like a pendulum. It was a pretty scary scene, and I was terrified. I think my grandmother was very resilient during this challenge. Luckily the earthquake was not devastating. However, during that time, she quickly told us to exit the house and go onto the street. I followed her outside and watched as the building shook in front of us. We took shelter away from the building while outdoors. This was a scary scene as we did not know what was going to happen. However, she remained calm during the entire experience, and never once showed any signs of panic. I am sure in her mind she was stressed and anxious. Luckily the earthquake ended after what seemed like several very long minutes, and we were able to return after ensuring there were no more waves coming. My grandmother continued to remain calm thereafter. She continued on with what she was doing, and I remember she even cooked a meal for us that night.

BBC News - Haiti quake: Survivors' stories. I found this article that provides several survivors of the Haitian earthquake. All of them could be considered role models for resilience.

BBC. (2010, January 28). Haiti quake: Survivors' stories. BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8459090.stm.

I found that TED talk by Cecilia Mcgough, titled I am not a monster. Her story is about how she overcame her fear of becoming social stigma to seek medical care for her mental health illness – Schizophrenia. Finally, she became a mental health advocator.

Mcgough, C. (2017, May, 27th). I am not a monster [Video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbagFzcyNiM.