The Born Identity

On a recent plane trip I was able to get the exit row, and the icing on the cake was that it was the window seat with no seat directly in front of it. One word: awesome.

I sat down and soon after I did an older couple came to sit in the two seats next to me. Here’s the string of what happened next. . . 

1. He decides to sit in the middle seat next to me. He has a carry on briefcase that looks like it will have about 1/16” clearance if he tries to put it under the seat. It was early in the boarding process with plenty of room above. I thought surely he would simply put the bag overhead. But this man was a rule follower and he’d already put a smaller bag overhead.
2. I watched him contort his body with both feet on the seats in front of him, legs spread, and arms shoving the bag down in front of him. Unreal. His wife looked at me as if to say, “This is not the first time this has happened.”
3. They finally got settled, and the first thing he did was buckle his seat belt.
4. Then he pulled out hand sanitizer for himself and his wife. He did not offer me any.
5. During the flight attendant “pep talk” he checked his seat belt again.
6. Next, he pulled out a copy of The Bourne Imperative (the latest Jason Bourne novel) and began to read.
7. As we were taking off, he checked his seat belt again for the 3rd time.
8. Then he read more Bourne.
9. About 20 minutes into the flight, he fell asleep on my shoulder.
10. About 21 minutes into the flight, I snapped his neck like a twig just like Jason Bourne would have done.
11. About 21 1/4 minutes into the flight, I realized I’d been daydreaming for the last 15 seconds.

The thing that really struck me was the fact that this very nice, rule-following man with a preoccupation with safety still longed for one of the things every person—but particularly every man—I’ve ever met searches for: namely, adventure. Here is this guy checking his seat belt three times and making sure he didn’t get any germs between the jetway and his seat; yet, he was pouring through the Bourne novel as if he was doing research for his next secret mission.

Everyone wants adventure. Men need it. It’s part of our Born Identity. We go looking for it. The key for men is to have (1) the freedom to find adventure and (2) the discipline to find healthy adventure.

Jesus once said, “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of,” (John 10:10 from The Message)

Some men find that adventure in a book. Some men find that adventure in The Book. Some men take Jesus at his Word and find that life, indeed, is a great adventure. And to that, i say, "Let's roll."

Epilogue: And by the way, sir, Jason Bourne would never have put his name, personal address and phone number in plain sight on the bag. I googled you when we landed. . . Your credentials are sincerely impressive, and congratulations on your retirement. :)