Nineteen. A letter to Jordan

…Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;

Francis of Assisi

My son Jordan had just turned 18 and had the wonderful opportunity to work on the feature film 10,000 BC while they were shooting in Namibia. He had flown there from NZ full of excitement to continue his homemade education as a director. A couple of my dear friends had taken him on the project but warned me that being on a film set was not always a pretty picture. It was common for a lot of people to hook up while working together and use sex as a distraction or self-promotion. In light of this, I guess all the gambling and drinking wouldn’t be that bad? Anyway, Jordan had been writing to me about all his observations, opportunities, and the situations he’d gotten into. They were pretty colorful and inspired my father’s heart to write the following letter: