Raising Extraordinary Humans
During my time in the US Army, I helped save lives during a revolution in Haiti, led men in combat as an infantry squad leader in Iraq, and commanded a platoon of men in New Orleans during life-saving operations during Hurricane Katrina. After leaving the service, I spent ten years fighting some of the largest wildfires our country has ever seen. I tell you all of this because none of my experiences before were as terrifying as what I’ll be going through very soon. Jackie Juniper Davis, my sixteen-year-old baby girl, is heading out to explore the arctic.
I’m scared, but I believe that if you want to raise an extraordinary human being, you have to encourage them to do extraordinary things. That is what Seabirds is all about. I don’t know Ashley or Tiff – the co-founders of the Seabirds – too well, but I can see that they formed this organization against some tall odds. They’ve overcome so much, and their mission is amazing and commendable. By going on this trip, Jackie (16) and Amelia (17, the other youth advisor) will be showing other girls their age, and the world, that women can excel in science. They can overcome the hardships of being on a ship at sea for two weeks, can dog sled, and can tag Greenland sharks. In short, they can do extraordinary things, and I’m all for it.
Jackie and I got dressed up for Mother Day one year. I think it was 2020.
Jackie and I hiking the Cascades.
My wife Kelly and I decided to raise human beings and not sons or daughters. We’ve always believed that gender stratification sometimes puts unhealthy and unneeded limitations or expectations on children. Jackie was always taught to use her problem-solving skills and situational awareness, and to have a healthy distrust of authority. Sure, she’s played with dolls sometimes, but she also learned to split firewood and gut fish at an early age. She’s been on long hikes and ate MREs just like her brother and sister. In 2020, the Holiday Farm fire ravaged our community. It burned down the entire town along with 106,000 acres of land, 400 homes, and over 200 businesses. With the help of a couple combat veterans and firefighters, I helped lead the people out of the fire and to safety. Jackie stood beside me the entire time with a whistle around her neck and her pocketknife in her little balled fist.
I just got back from a summer of Wildland Fire fighting.
So, while I am scared for her, I could not be a prouder father. She will not only complete this mission, but she will also excel. It’s in her blood. My older son has a degree in Nuclear Engineering and works to remove carbon from the atmosphere to counter climate change. My older daughter is working hard on her degree in Environmental Science and volunteers to help animal shelters. And now, Jackie is starting her career as an arctic explorer and scientist. They are all better than I am, and that is the best feeling a dad can have. I can’t wait to see how this trip will change her life!
