"Hey, let me know if you ever want to learn to surf," Jon Rose quipped as I walked by the room he was sitting in at Newport Spine and Sport. I had just started working as a massage therapist under the tutelage of Tim Brown and Garret Andersen and the place was always teeming with pro surfers and skaters. Jon was sporting a mohawk and the attitude that any twenty-something under contract to Quiksilver is bound to have, but there was something sincere in his offer. I put it in the old memory bank.
Fast-forward to 2005 and I find myself sitting on the beach at Thalia St in Laguna sharing my near-drowing story with Jon. Assuring him that he has his work cut out for him if he's going to get me into that water! Jon patiently listened and then he grabbed my hand and walked me into the water. "Okay, first I'm going to teach you how to duck dive," as he explained the specifics. He continued to hold my hand as we dove under countless waves and for the first time in years I felt safe in the water. When I finally stood up on a weenie 2ft wave Jon exclaimed, "Ha, look at you Shantel. Riding with all the groms!"
If I wasn't prepared for Jon to be so compassionate, I certainly wasn't prepared for him to be so open. He'd recently published his first book Towards Miles, in which he was refreshingly honest about his journey through life. We whittled away the rest of the afternoon discussing life, love and family as I helped him finish clearing out of the house he had recently shared with his ex-girlfriend. "I just think people throw in the towel too quickly these days. No one wants to put in the hard work."
Putting in the hard work is second nature to Jon Rose and he's finally hit his stride with Waves 4 Water (wavesforwater.org). Jon is on a mission to provide every person on the planet with potable water. Seems like a daunting task and yet he's making incredible strides. After experiencing first-hand the lack of clean water on a recent trip to Peru with my mom, I decided to give Jon a call. I actually managed to catch him during a rare moment at home and he was more than happy to answer my questions and hook me up with filters which I then sent on to a non-profit in Ollantaytambo.
My original lesson with Jon Rose may have been all about learning to surf, but over the years he has given me so much more. He's been an example of how to live a life of integrity...say what you mean and do what you say. In short, he has been an inspiration and I hope you find something in his story to inspire you as well!
Jon recently did an interview about finding your life's purpose. It's a bit on the long side, but there are some golden nuggets in there. Check it out if you have a minute! How to Find Your Calling
