At 18 Harry Turner graduated from high school facing the tough question: now what? School had not been kind to him, a typical experience for kids who are more sensitive to the subtleties of life. He signed up for the military, and after six months was sent to Afghanistan. In the first week, a soldier died in his arms.
One theory is that a shock to worldview is one source of PTSD. because our worldview is a source of stability and security. It is not hard to threaten that as you may have heard in my conversation with Kathy Jourdain. All that is needed is different thinking which helps explain why worldviews have their own orbit. The dramatic shock of moving from a stable home life to being immersed in the violence that seems to characterize global unconsciousness has life-threatening consequences.
After his Afghanistan tour, he was discharged and wanted to commit suicide. You’ll hear the rest of his story in this episode. His experience is documented in the film, Wild Cat, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Harry's experience with school, war, and violence led him to discover and reconnect with himself. And he had help through becoming the parent of two orphaned ocelots. His role mirrored that of any parent. Teach life skills, keeping them safe, and the goal of re-wilding them to their native habitat.
How does the experience of fearless living in the jungle mimic the much noisier modern world? What can be learned about Harry’s journey that applies to business and personal leadership? Plenty I’d say.
This is the third in a series of three episodes on transcending difficult situations and emotions to reclaim agency, hope, and ways to restore connection to self and others.
You can find the documentary film on Amazon Prime. It just won an Emmy.
Harry’s Emerald Arch project at www.emeraldarch.org
See www.wildcatdocumentary.com
From a Suicidal State to an Emmy-Harry Turner's Redemption