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Have you fallen… been knocked down?

In earlier blogs that I have posted, I talked about adolescent attachment with family and the importance of having friends. I am now going to talk to you about a segment of episode 3 of the three part series “This Emotional Life“, that pertains to the ability to recover from a misfortune or change. A key component of the human mind is its capacity to overcome the most horrific stresses, and use those experiences to thrive and grow. In episode 3 we meet Bob Shumaker, he is a surviving prisoner of war. His story absolutely amazes me! With that being said, I am now going to touch on Bob’s story.

Resilience-

Bob Shumaker grew up on a farm in Western Pennsylvania. In 1965 he became a husband a father. Shortly after that, Bob was sent to combat as a fighter pilot in Vietnam. While overseas, Bob’s plane was shot down and he was captured. He was taken in as a prisoner of war into North Vietnamese camps where he was tortured physically and mentally. He spend almost three out of his eight years as a prisoner of war in solitary confinement. While in solitary confinement, he spent most of his time designing the perfect house to build for him and his family , if he were to ever be released. Bob and other prisoners who were thrown into solitary confinement used the tap code to communicate. Through the tap code that were able keep their hopes and dreams alive by transmitting music lessons, french lessons, and even lessons on how to fix a T.V.

The tap code is referred to over and over again when researching Social Support. Having support is so important during tough times. Bob stated that using the tap code was a way for him and the other prisoners to support each other, and let each other know that they although they couldn’t be there for each other physically they were there mentally. Bob’s ability to bounce back from this experience is amazing to me. When I watched his story I couldn’t help but wonder if I would have been able to go through what Bob went through. I found myself asking “How was he able to do this?”.

Studies show that we learn resilience by falling down and getting back up again. Most people, when faced with a traumatic situation, find a way to get back to their set point. They are able to eventually go back to the level of happiness that they were once at. Bob Shumaker used his experience as a prisoner of war to his advantage. When he returned home, he was able to reconnect with his wife and child, build the home he had spent eight years designing, become an admiral, and a college professor. When asked if given the chance, would he could have eliminated that prisoner of war experience from his life, he responded “No!”. From this experience Bob was able to learn about himself and obtain psychological tools that he wouldn’t have obtained elsewhere… tools that he will be able to use for the rest of his life.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Unknown

To watch the full version of episode 3 and learn more about Bob’s story, please visit: This Emotional Life