Apr. 24, 2002 - 19:56 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

For Real

Wondering and then coming to a personal conclusion.

On TV, survivor programs seem to be continuing in one form or another. I don't knock them and many people are absorbed in them, as well they might be. They are deeply interesting, thrilling and deal with exotic places, esoteric rules and varied people.

Over the years I have devoured many books of adventure, travels and dangers faced and conquered. Guess I am a dork, but I lived in every one of them as one character or another, usually the hero. Read more than my share of National Geographics and a bit of history too. On TV I have seen some fantastic places, new and handsome faces and some people on the tube blessed with all the graces. Most of the time I spend watching TV is watching programs I have chosen to watch on Public Television, The Learning Channel and some chosen independent films or old classics.

In a very small way my own Survivor program evolved in my life (other than raising a family of kids)by being sent to parts of the Southwest, and places on the Pacific Rim at the age of 40+. An old sloppy, comfortable married man with kids yet, used to the ministrations of Heather my wife. Spoiled you might say and you would be right on the money. Jeepers I had my first airplane ride not too long before. In the forties I rode for the first time a train Denver to Illinois and back, one way with Heather and the other alone. Off and on in our married life we were apart and I was pretty well on my own, it was an effort for this lazy man to do what needed to be done. But I survived.

Then came living in a house owned by a motel owner and surviving on my per diem and making periodic rush flights to and from Denver, taught me a little of air travel, Getting to the airport on time then waiting. I survived that even though the flight attendants strike on the airline I was supposed to fly out on going to Bangkok began an hour or so before I got there. Scrambling around San Francisco airport seeking a flight going east overseas, managed to get one but it was guaranteed to only go to Hong Kong for me supposed to be full up from there on. That took a bit of the skill a survivor has to learn. by a fine bit of deadpan expression, order showing and, "I don't know what you mean." I managed to finagle my way to Bangkok on the same aircraft while watching the attendants trying to figure why they had one more passenger than shown on their manifest.

I survived that to have a glorious week in Bangkok as the military I was to report to were off that week. I managed to squeeze on to military flights to the northern border where I was supposed to report by fast talking and order waving as well as giving the name and telephone number of the officer I was to report to.

Lessons came in many guises and shapes for me. Got the peewadding scared out of me at Bien Hoa and again at Pleiku, spent some extremely pleasant times in Japan. Managed to fly as passenger in most of the military aircraft that had room for one more than the pilot, from the C130 Hercules to the two passenger Skyraider. I spent time on Yankee Station aboard two carriers, flew out from Cubi Point, Phillipines to a carrier landing and the big flight was the one back when our aircraft underwent a cat shot, just like seen on TV, but the force involved cannot be felt on TV.

Spent some time at a remote test track where pyrotechnics played a great part, caution and careful teamwork didn't keep one of the technicians from being killed when there was a rocket misfire as he was crossing behind the sled, not too many months before I hit there.

A few things learned, not to pack more than I absolutly had to have, make sure of my passport. Make sure before departure of the financial arrangements made for me and family, making sure to be where I was supposed to be early, especially when going on a flight. Be very cautious of eating off base in the Orient and the same on consumption of water. Go see the Medics - that's important too. Be ever aware and alert all the time. Self reliance, a trait unwillingly forced on me.

In recent times, a destructive auto accident and a year of recovery and physical rehabilitation and then my ticker went berserk and just sat in there quivering. Medication and having my heart stopped and started back on its own, twice put it in a normal rhythm and pulse rate for the first time in my life, continuing faithful use of medication makes me a survivor too. Since then trying to eat right, exercise as much as I am able to and keep my brain from withering away.

I don't watch Survivor programs, they do disgusting things, I have had to do that, eat unappetizing things - also did that, gain the confidence of a tribe - I did that with each tribe of pilots I lectured and their administrative folk, interrupted sleep - yep I was there too. Undergo various dangers - I was there too.

I guess maybe many men alive now as well as I are survivors For Real . . . . . . . .

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