-
1. Forty feet down, at night
He and Robin dove off Hawaii after dark, about forty feet down, and watched manta rays feed. Getting there took certification first, then planning, then actually going on the night it was scheduled. Very little of what makes that dive possible happens underwater.
Photograph to come. Jesse and Robin on the boat before the night dive off Hawaii.
-
2. Eleven days and about 110 miles on foot
In 2018 he walked Philmont with his oldest son, eleven days and roughly a hundred and ten miles carrying everything they needed. His three sons have each earned Eagle Scout, which is their achievement rather than his. What he supplied was the eleven days.
-
3. Two basements and two decks
Both basements were finished and both decks were built by him, which is a slower way to learn framing, wiring and load than reading about it. It is also why a conversation with an electrician runs about as easily as a conversation with a general counsel. Neither one wants the other one's vocabulary.
Photograph to come. One of the two decks he built, finished and in use.
-
4. A degree earned on school nights
He finished a Master of Divinity in Christian Education in 2015 while practicing full time, which meant coursework at the end of days that were already long. Nobody assigns that. It got done the way most long things get done, on a schedule nobody else was watching.
-
5. Rooms full of people who did not have to be there
He led a middle school ministry, teaches a church small group, substitute taught at his children's school, and served five years on the board of Northland Christian School. A room of thirteen year olds will not pretend to follow you out of politeness, which is useful practice for a jury box.
Photograph to come. Jesse teaching a small group, taken from the back of the room.