War, sharks, and torture: A saga of forgiveness
As Laura Hillenbrand was researching material for Seabiscuit, she learned about Louis Zamperini. This led to her writing about his life in Unbroken, the fastest 400-plus pages I've ever read. Interestingly enough, I only learned about this biography because the church I was attending at the time arranged to have Louis visit us. Some of the highlights in his journey included meeting Hitler during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, defending his raft from shark attacks in the Pacific for several weeks after his plane went down, and returning to Japan to forgive his P.O.W. camp torturers after he became a Christian. Hearing him share the lessons he learned in person, along with the humor and humble attitude he showed as he recapped them, truly was amazing.
Takeaways:
Mental strength is key. When Zamperini and two other squad members, Phil and Mac, found themselves in a raft after their plane went down in the Pacific, Mac panicked and ate all the available rations in one sitting. Mac's choice to consume everything was neither wise nor helpful. Even though he was the only one who benefited from the nourishment, he was the only one who died. Meanwhile, because Louie and Phil maintained a persisted through encouragement and strategic discussion, they were able to stay alive until they washed up on shore.
Finding a solution is about commitment, not passively hoping for outside help. Louie had never killed a bird or shark before, but he had to learn how to while stranded at sea. He quickly figured out what was edible in each animal, along with devising ways to capture water and repair raft damage with limited resources. His only options were survival or death, and he had to take action in every moment. He couldn't bet on long odds for someone else to find him in the ocean before dying.
A good start is helpful, but a strong finish is better. Louie spent his childhood acting out a frustrated spirit as he engaged with bullies, policemen, and teachers. Even as he found a constructive outlet in running track, the challenges kept mounting. People wanted to take advantage of him at every stage in his life, whether through physically injuring him or exploiting his fame. Eventually, Louie's resentment of his torture in Japan boiled over. Embracing Christianity during a Billy Graham rally inspired him to discard all his alcohol and take better care of his wife and children. Later in his life, he opened up a camp to minister to kids dealing with life issues similar to the ones he had at their age, along with sharing his experiences to encourage and inspire.
Louie's adventure involved adversity in finances, family ties, war crimes, alcoholism, and survival under the craziest of circumstances. It also had plenty of funny and heartfelt moments, particularly his practical jokes as a prankster and transformation after war. Prior to attending his presentation, I was struggling with self-confidence and unstable employment. After reading the book and hearing him speak, I started wondering how to emulate his resilience in dealing with my challenges. If he had enough grit to come out okay after all he's been through, maybe I could do the same. Furthermore, if he wasn't done with his story at the time (he has since passed), then I definitely wasn't done with mine. I hope his journey will inspire all of us to live uniquely and boldly.
