Circle of Trust

The weekend of 21 September 2019 was a good one for F3 Naperville. We hosted numerous PAX from other regions, met F3 Nation leaders, and participated in GrowRuck 16. It was a solid weekend of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd F’s.
But it was a hard one for me. I had been experiencing knee problems for some time, and it was getting worse. As it turned out, I had a torn meniscus that required surgery. Based on the advice of two doctors, I withdrew from participating in GrowRuck 16.
And that was painful for two reasons. First, as your Nant’an, I felt compelled to actively participate in an event as significant as GrowRuck. Second, it was professionally embarrassing as a Marine in front of cadre who happened to all be Army! I was sorely tempted to skip the event, sleep through it, and let the whole thing slip by. Maybe nobody would really notice.
But of course, I couldn’t. There were matters to attend to, including convergence, Grow School, etc. And we were forming a Safety Support Squad that provided a way to be involved. So, I spent the night driving the support vehicle, delivering food and water, taking care of injured PAX, coordinating storm shelter, etc. It was an opportunity to help other men experience the growth training that is GrowRuck.
It was also an opportunity to reflect on the fact that the weekend wasn’t about me. Obsessing about what I couldn’t do was very selfish. I needed to focus on others, and on the team. I reflected on how in years past I often took the “support squad” for granted. It was an exercise in reorienting my focus outward.
And so, while GrowRuck 16 was about how other men had the opportunity to grow, in some small way, I think I grew a bit, too.