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• The FIRMing Experience by Kevin Anderson
• Where Men Win Glory: the Odyssey of Pat Tillman,
  by Jon Krakauer

The FIRMing Experience

by Kevin Anderson, MROP 2002, Ghost Ranch, NM
and MALEs Minnesota Convener

In the excerpted video below from the 2010 annual gathering of regional MALEs leaders, Kevin Anderson explains the FIRMing experience. A FIRMing (Fifth Initiation Ritual for Men) is a three-day event designed for men who have experienced the Rites of Passage and who participate in the Journey of Illumination. FIRMing is an intensive event containing solitude, ritual, and other experientials. FIRMings are scheduled in different regional locations and require an application and acceptance process. Visit our 2011 MROP & FIRMing schedule for more information.

 

Where Men Win Glory: the Odyssey of Pat Tillman,
by Jon Krakauer

by Bob Strange, MROP 1998, Ghost Ranch, NM
and MALEs Texas Convener

The opening quote from Homer’s Iliad, alerts the reader that he is entering a story of mythic proportions: “Who among mortal man are you, good friend? Since never before have I seen you in the fighting where men win glory, yet now you have come striding far out in front of all others in your great heart.”

Krakauer, whose previous books include Into the Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven, then presents us with a dramatis personae, and we know that a Greek tragedy is about to unfold.  And a tragedy it is; yet like a Greek tragedy there is strong element of virtue in the face of all odds.  Krakauer introduces the hero, Pat Tillman—a gifted athlete who walked away from a multi-million dollar NFL contract to serve in the so-called Global War on Terror—as a “conspicuously handsome young man, with chiseled features and a magnetic smile.”

Tillman’s agent called him “a man of principle…a once in a lifetime kid.”  The husband of Pat’s sister-in-law says, “Being with Pat was the best….the drinking was better, the conversation was better, the laughter was better—everything in life was just better when he was part of it.”

The hero in Greek tragedies appears as flawless and invincible; but he has a fatal flaw (an Achilles’ heel) that leads to his humiliation and almost always, his death.  The hero seemingly has everything going for him, but he somehow misses the mark, hamartia in Greek.  Men will recognize the flaw as that aspect of our shadow self that trips us up on our journey of personal and spiritual development.

In Where Men Win Glory, Krakauer skillfully leads the reader through Tillman’s life, including excerpts from the personal journals that Tillman kept until the day he was killed by “friendly” fire in Afghanistan.  The book is by turns harrowing, as it leads to Tillman’s death; entertaining, as it describes his full-throttle life; and irritating, as it spells out the politically motivated attempts to cover up the truth of his death.

Readers on their own personal odyssey can find much to appreciate in this finely crafted story.  Jon Krakauer is brilliant when he describes in well-researched detail the stories of young men on their heroic journeys.  His captivating descriptions of those who serve with courage and valor demonstrate that it is not yet the “end of men” as described by Hanna Rosin in her recent magazine article in The Atlantic.

Where Men Win Glory is a worthwhile read for those seeking awareness of their personal hamartia, and a potent reminder of what lies ahead for men blinded by their own hubris.

 

Where Men Win Glory: the Odyssey of Pat Tillman, by Jon Krakauer, is available for purchase online at Better World Books.