The first movie theater experience I remember is watching Raiders of the Lost Ark with my sister. We munched popcorn, slurped cokes, jumped when they fought through snakes to get out of the well of lost souls, laughed when Indy shot the sword dude, and ewwwed when the German guy’s face melted. And the whole time, I remember thinking, “Holy. Crap.”
Everything changed then.
After Raiders every hike in the woods was a search for lost artifacts, every game of tag was a battle between good and evil, every dip in the pool was a daring escape from arrow-shooting natives. This was grand for me and unfortunate for my sister, who was often being dragged into these adventures. It was even worse for my parents, who had to deal with a decade of ticks and poison ivy. And since then two plus decades of adventure travel to unsettling locales. Indiana Jones might have been the bane of their existence, but he was a bane that had a PhD. If you want to be like Indiana Jones, get a doctorate.
If you have seen Indiana Jones through his various hair-raising adventures then you understand exactly what I am talking about. Also, if you had a child who did, you do too. Dr. Jones encouraged that adventurous side of us that was all stuffed up sitting in classrooms, keeping down cowlicks, and being forced into sweater vests.
My travel companion to Ethiopia is one such kid. He loves adventure as much as anyone I know and is the only person I know who has an Indiana Jones fedora. He’s on malaria medicine as well. He has a PhD.
I guess I’m thinking about Indiana Jones because I saw that it was his birthday yesterday. July 1, 1899. I never thought of Indiana Jones having a birthday, just as someone who was always around. He was born fighting Nazis, shooting swordsmen, and slicing through rope bridges.
Frankly, the birthday of this fictional character means more to me than Thomas Jefferson’s or George Washington’s. And it’s fitting that his birthday comes now, a few days before I go on my own adventure.
Though I never knew his birthday was July 1, I now think that should be a national holiday. Indiana Jones Day. Adventure Day. Just as being generous is encouraged on Christmas and making out in public on Valentine’s Day, Indiana Jones Day encourages you to be adventurous. The level of that adventurous task is up to you. Jump out of a plane, ask out that person you’re terrified of, eat street meat that’s been in the sun.
Have an adventure this week in honor of Indy. Break out of your comfort zone, drink til 5 am on Tuesday, dance the macarena on a tram. If there’s one thing that Indy taught us, it’s that adventure is out there for anyone who wants it. All you need is a hat, a whip, a badass attitude…and maybe a PhD.
