Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Lakeland Public Television presents Common Ground brought to you by the
Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund ppand the citizens of Minnesota.
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
Welcome to Common Ground.
In this episode we join a modern day explorer as he uncovers
the secrets of the Mississippi for his school room audience.
My name is Dean Jacobs.
I'm from Fremont, NE and I'm spending the next two months exploring
the Mississippi River from it's sourcePPat Lake Itasca all the wayppdown
to New Orleans. Now this is part of a bigger project called Three
Rivers, Three Continents where I comparePPand contrast 3 rivers from 3ppdifferent
continents. And this is the last segment. A few years ago I did the Nile
River. I went from the beginning to the end. The beginning of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia
beginning of the White Nile in Uganda. Saw where the White and the Blue Nile came together
in Sudan and followed it to the Mediterranean. And then a year ago I spent six months going
down the Amazon. I went from the source in Southern Peru at 17,000 feet
hopscotched through the canyons and at one point in Peru
in Pucallpa I got on a cargo ship and for the last 3,000 miles of Amazon
I floated it in sections, sleeping in a hammock. Getting off from time to time
going in the jungle on little excursions to see the natural
wonders and the cultures that call the Amazon home. Now the last
river for me to explore in this project is the Mississippi. So that's
why I'm here in beautiful Bemidji.
Gentleman by the name of Marsh who is a dentist in the town. He is also
a pilot. Pilot: And can you
hear me. Dean:I can. He provided the invitation
to fly me over the Mississippi River. Bemidji traffic
61713 at the ramp taxing out for departure. Runway
25 Air Traffic Control: Bemidji You're clear.
Even in my wildest dreams I could not plan on that. For sure I don't have
the budget to hire a pilot to fly me up to go look at the Mississippi
from above. Pilot: There it is right there. That's the Mississippi.
To last week
I canoed a couple sections of the river from Lake Itasca.
towards Bemidji. Dean: Originally I was going to get out here
and then I had the realization that this is more than I wanted
to do. There is the dock right there. I might as well take a photo.
Yesterday I canoed across Lake Bemidji and then
I followed the Mississippi down towardPPthe Power Dam. And now I'mppgoing
to explore a little bit of the Mississippi toward Cass Lake.
And I'll put back on the river right below Brainerd and canoe
the next section from Brainerd to Little Falls. I'm actually below Brainerd
at the moment. For those people who know this part of Minnesota.
I'm looking at the river through the trees today. I'm at a state park called
Crow Wing. It's moving around at a steady pace and I was talking to someone last
night who knows this area. That's part of the deal I have to try to absorb
or pull in as much information as I can so I can prepare.
I love my canoe. I'm carrying
about $12,000 worth of camera gear in my canoe
and you don't want any surprises you know what I mean.
So he says there is a few stretches that there arePPsome rapids on this stretch ofppthe Mississippi.
Not major but enough to where I need to pay attention.
Come on down.
You ever met a world explorer before? No
Well I'm Dean and your names again?
Truman and Molly. Okay Cool.
Do you like dolphins? Yeah
Cool I took that a year ago off the coast of South America.
There was a great ocean current
that goes off South America and then it takes a left turn and goes off towards the
Galapagos Islands. But when I took this photo,PPthere were 150 dolphins allppjumping
at one time. That sound cool. It still makes
my hair stand on my arms when I think about it. ppTo be in that abundance of life
is really special gift. May this serve as a reminder
that there is some pretty cool things to go see in the world.
I just need enough experience on the water to capture
an intimate relationship with the Mississippi. I look for 3 touch
stones when I travel anyway. Culture, history and the natural wonders. Well the natural wonders
intimacy of the MIssissippi you got bePPon the river. You got to spendpptime
in the river. But I also want to talk to people who call the Mississippi River home or least live
that area. And then the history you know there is 1,500 historical
landmarks on the Mississippi River. No, I'm not going to see them all but I just want to see
the ones that will help me capture the essencePPof the Mississippi. Causeppeventually what I do
is I will turn this into teachable moments and I'll do presentations in schools.
that bring this to life. Then the Mississippi River
isn't just a squiggly line on a map but it's a real place with real people.
Real history and real natural wonders to be appreciated
and celebrated. Where do you guys go to school?
Brainerd. What grade are you in? Going in to 8th and
going into 2nd grade.
Alright my website is on there. Has lots of photos from
other places around the world. I lived with mountain gorillas.
for 7 1/2 months in Rwanda Africa. You have
another. Cameraman: we do that's alright. PPDean: I'm out of photos manppsorry.
So here give me five.
That's what I do
I do school programs. So if you have any
connections with the schools in Brainerd
have them take a look at my site. I'm a word of mouth guy not a
big marketing guy. I do these education programs
where I give the kids a different view of the world then what they necessarily see in tv or read
in the newspapers. I give them a different reality. I have a website
pretty easy. Deanjacobs.org
My website, I'm on facebook give me
a like if you like what I'm talking about.PPI'm on instantgram, onpptwitter.
I'm using social medias. That's one of the greatPPthings about this day and ageppsomebody like me
who is committed to making a positive contribution
doesn't have to wait for big corporatePPsponsors to come along. I'mppjust doing it.
I drive a little green truck 10 years old. It's all bought and paid for.
Not married, I have no kids my expenses are minimal.
And then when I'm back home I help take carePPof my mom as a part timeppcaregiver
with my brother. My brother Dale who I need to give a shout out cause he runs
my life for me while I'm gone. Otherwise you arePPgone for months at a time andppyou don't have
someone to help manage your life it could be a mess. And I'm not about
making messes. I'm about leaving the worldPPbetter than what I found it.ppWhen I was going
down the Amazon. At one point I found out about an island
that you could visit, that actually belonged to Colombia where it was
a lot of squirrel monkeys on it. So I went there and I had a dozen squirrel monkeys climbing
on me. That's great because kids love PPthat and they love animalsppanyway.
So those are opportunities that I can't
always perceive but seem to always presentPPthemselves to make it rich andppreal
and tangible. And then there is interesting people that you can't predict
that always show up. Like yesterday or a couple days ago I was working from
Itasca to here. I ran into blueberry pickersppout in the middle of
the woods of Minnesota. They gave me blueberries and
happy and kind and generous with me.
Those are the stories that I'll tell when I'm eventually doing these programs at schools.
How I was treated with kindness, dignity and respect as I traveled.
It's one thing I've learned out of spending 5 years of my life backpacking through
52 countries on my own. Is that you can have a plan
but it is better to go with an intention.
The moment something happens the plansPPgo out the window. But whenppyou have
the intention that has different ways to fulfill itself
My intention is to connect with people, PPto experience the nature andppappreciate
the history of a place. Cause when you can take ownership of that
I believe personally I believe that learning isn't a bunch
of information, facts so we can take a test in a box.
But it's a combination of information combined with experience to create a wisdom
to help us be engaged and create healthy communities in the world.
I planned on a bit of a rough canoe tripPPcoming out of Lake Itasca andppthat
was the case. I had to canoe over beaver dams. There was a local man
who I invited to canoe part of that journey with me
by the name of Chris Longer who is really great. And he'd been down the river before.
See I can't plan that cause I've never met him before. One of the things I've learned
also John in traveling around the world is that people are good
everywhere you go around the world. I havePPthis saying you can alwaysppfind evidence for
whatever you want to find evidence for. If youPPwant to find evidence that theppworld is not very
nice it's very easy to find that. All you got toPPdo is turn on the news. But ifppyou want to find
evidence that the world is filled with beauty,PPkindness and amazing peopleppyou can find that too.
But you got to use your own eyes and your own ears and your own heart.
I think my time is better spent finding PPwhat's right in the world andppcelebrating that.
Cause I personally believe that is how we are going to move the world forward.
with peace and understanding. One thing about the Mississippi
There is a youthfulness, There is an aliveness. There is a vibrancy. It's a treasure.
And an innocence but not naivety. It's still wild
and you don't want to under estimate any river
especially the Mississippi. There is something inviting and peaceful
and there is a certain solitude and tranquility or peacefulness
that comes with spending in the wild. And the Mississippi is very generous in sharing that.
Those who wish to come out and share that experience with
the river, it is very generous to give that.
What qualifies me
is the permission that I gave myself to stay true to my heart's calling.
I was 10 years in the corporate world, worked for a big pharmaceutical company
actually the biggest one in the world.
I started asking myself how much stuff do you really need in order to be happy.
When I got serious about answering that questionPPthe next thing that came to myppheart was what
do you dream about. And what I had dreamed about as a lot boy growing up in Freemont, NE
was to go explore and experience the world. So I've interviewed
rebel generals in the Congo. I've worked for the Dian Fossey organization in
living with mountain gorillas for 7 1/2 months in Rwanda.
Been robbed at gunpoint in Turkey and went to base camp of Everest. But the
bravest thing I've ever done in my entire life was the day I called the pharmaceutical
company and said I'm leaving. Because ppeverything I knew my life to be
just went spinning off without me. And then I was left with a blank canvas.
For me to become the artist of my life, for me to put on the canvas what I wished that
expression to be. There is a certain fulfillment that I've come
to understand that can only be experience whenPPyou stay true to what you wereppmade to do.
And nobody can tell you what that is. PPThat's our job to figure thatppout.
That's part of what I do when I go into schools.PPI go into schools, I tellppthese kids
about these amazing journeys around the world. Then I help them
by leading by experience that this is what it looks like when you stay true to your heart and follow
your dreams. There is a certain bounce in myPPstep and smile on my face thatppcan only be
acquired through staying true to this part.
We are heading to New Orleans. Come along with me explore the Mississippi River.
Well I grew up in Fremont NE. Actually I was born on a farm
near Wahoo and then 5 years old we movedppto town my dad became a truck
driver and my mom was a house wife. So if PPanybody is thinking that Ippinherited a bunch
of money to go do this, you can set that aside.
That's great for those people who have been gifted that. It wasn't my journey.
Grew up in Freemont very flat... At 9 years old
You remember the green string ray
bicycles high handlebars, banana seats. My grandpa painted
it John Deere green. And one Saturday morning I got on that bicycle and I rode
from Fremont to the next town Arlington which was 10 miles down the gravel road
It means next town there's no... it's like up here there is no
suburb, it's way down the road. Looked at the Elk Horn River
then rode all the way back. So where ever that insatiable curiosity
that pulls me into the world to go outPPand experience it. That wasppeven there
at 9. Then I went to college, got my degree in biology and then I got into the workforce
and got on that hamster wheel of life sometimes and
was working really world and oh this is cool. PPAnd I was happy but I wasn'tppfulfilled and
that is a different distinction. I did a lot of work over a long period
of time, self reflection, evaluation asking myself those important questions.
Then I finally got to the point like well, what really
What I wanted to do was to go experience the world.
Not just read about it, not just see it on television; but to smell it,
to feel it, to taste it, to break bread with people who
have different colored skin, speak a differentPPlanguage worship a differentppgod. Because it's
in that not only do I learn about the world but I learn about myself
and that is invaluable. I picked up
photography back in the days when I was in thePPcorporate world because I wasppjumping on a
plane every week. And I knew that if you don't have some kind of hobby that's mobile you end
up working 7/24 and that's a recipe for burnout.
So that was one way I managed it. So I self taught myself
photography. I have an art minor from PPcollege so I understandppcomposition.
And then writing
Writing is work for me but it becomes from my commitment
to share the experiences that I encounter. So that way
this treasure of experiences that I have in PPhere and here and here. Whatppcan I do
with those. Those are not the treasures to be PPhoarded but to be shared in theppway to make
a positive contribution. That's why I commitPPto writing that's why I commitppto
expression with photography. To share in a way
that gives some insight, some appreciation, PPsome understanding andppcelebration
of life in general. My first book was about PPmy trip around the world thatpplasted
for 2 years. Went through 28 countriesppliving on $10-15 a day
in 2001 - 2003. That book is called Wondrous Journey. The 2nd book
that I co-authored was called WondrousPPCreatures these are animalsppthat I have
photographed from around the world. So they are all my images.
I co-authored some of the educational texts with an author by the name of Amy Tharpe
elementary teacher out of Colorado. So we got their habitat
what they eat, their size and then I have my journal entries.
Cause I keep a journal as I travel on each animal.
I'm really happy to share that that won an independent publishers award here
a couple months ago. Real proud about that. Printed in Minnesota.
Down in Brainerd. Now eventually this will be a book,
Three Rivers Three Continents. I will probablyPPhave a single book about goingppdown the
Mississippi an ebook. I know for sure I'll have a book going down the Amazon.
The Nile I did back in 2007 so I'm feeling this internal pull
that I need to go back and spend a little more time. Cause back then
I was still shooting a lot of transparency or slide film.
And things have changed in the visual world dramatically.
So I would like to go back and get some video of the wildlife
in particular on the Nile River. I've seen quite a bit of beauty
natural beauty, man made beauty walkedPPon the white marble of the TajppMahal.
Natural beauty watched the sun
rise and move the shadows across the pyramids of the Egypt. Or watch the sunset
and change colors on the face of Mount Everest. PPWake up in the middle of theppnight
in the outback of Australia and watch the stars move across
the nighttime sky. But for sure the
encounters that I've had with the various people around the world that really
has the capacity to touch my heart and expand my
hope for the future for humanity. For example
there is lot of examples. I'm always on
public transportation, because I don't have a National Geographic budget right. So I'm
taking a bus across the Sudan and at one point several points this repeated
itself many times. I'd get ready to pay myPPbus fare and the gentlemanppsitting next to me
taps me on the shoulder and says I already paid for you. I go okay thank you
and why did you do that? He'd look at me andPPgive me this big smile and heppgoes well you're
a guest in our country it's our responsible toPPwatch over you while you arepphere. And it's
really an act of humility to accept something from someone who has so little
but wants to give you everything. That's what I found out so much about
the world. That those who have nothing are always trying to give me everything
in the way of kindness, dignity and respect. AndPPthose are important storiesppfrom my perspective
that we need to share. Now I'm not saying that bad things are not going on in Sudan.
That's not the point that I'm making. The point that I really I want to emphasis is that
there are so many good things that are going on that never make a headline never
make CNN etc. But it is what most
of the world is like. I think all the bad news kind of messes our reality up and makes
us afraid of the world when we don't need to be.
Syria is in the news right now because of the civil war that is going on there. I backpacked across
Syria back in 2002.
It was long before the war, but not long after
George Bush called them an axis of evil. I came
in through Turkey and I was on my way to Jordan to go see Petra.
You know Petra, Indiana Jones stuff. Not surprising he would be one of my
heroes you know. So I'm backpacking across Syria and I'm in
Damascus and they are making bread in the way that they've done
for ever. These big long sticks going in to these
red clay ovens and they are pulling their bread out. There is a long line
of people getting bread. And I'm mesmerized by this cause
not like something I see so much in Nebraska so I'm taking my photos and writing
some notes. This gentleman who just got his bread came out of the line
and he saw me there. And of course I look different and I sound different etc.
He looked at me and smiled.
He puts his hand in and gives me one of the loafs of bread. At first I was like
no no no. And he goes no I want you to have this.
He saw that I was intrigued with the wholePPprocess. That's humility toppaccept something from
someone who has so little but wants to give you that. So I accepted it graciously
and then he goes where you from? I go well I'm from the United States.
He goes oh. I want you to know you are welcome
you are most most welcome in our country.
And then he paused for a second and then he goes and maybe you can go back
and tell your people that not all of our people are evil.
And that is a promise that I made, so wheneverPPI have a chance to tell thoseppstories I
do to share that story. That's the danger with taking a broad
brush and painting a whole country a certain way because it's never
that way. It's far more complex than that. I'm not saying
there are simple answers
I'm just saying we have to be determined to make the right choices
to move us forward in the positive way. Well I'm so happy I went to Syria.
I didn't instead to go Syria but I was on my way to Petra which is in Jordan.
from Turkey and it's almost always cheaper to travel over
land than to fly over something, one. And number two I don't want to fly
over it anyway. I want to experience, I want to bePPon the ground. I want to tasteppthe food. I want
to talk to the people. John whenever I
travel I don't have it with me right now. But whenever I travel the rest of the world I always
carry a little photo album of my mom, PPmy mom's dog, the cornfields ofppNebraska.
and things, my brother, my family so they can see where I'm from. Cause most of the time
they think what the world is is what they see on the news. Right just like us.
So they think everybody carries a gun in the United States and that we are all
Arnold Schwarzenegger and that kind of thing.
So whenever I have a chance I try to shed a littlePPbit of light on it. It's notppas it is portrayed.
I'm just an ordinary guy who happened ppto have an extraordinary dream
and doing his best to stay true to. It works.
The stories just kind of pop into my mind whenPPI'm the middle of doing allppthe presentations
and slide shows and things. Cause I take my images
and combining them with video and splicing
it together to help take the story deeper so it
kids can really get an appreciation of it. It's reallyPPhelpful when I can show themppfrom an image
from above. That's what I spent two and half hours on.
It would have been easier for Schoolcraft to find PPthe river had he had a pilot toppshow him
You know what's bumming out at me at this point
is the extraordinary kindness of the people of Minnesota.
I'm very moved by that. I'm in
a pretty good judge of character. I mean 52 countries on my own at the mercy of the world.
Now I try to give people reasons why to like me.
And I always sit at the front of the bus when I'm moving through a country and befriend the
bus driver and things like that. Cause he'll tell you when to get off and things like that. Or they'll
tell you not to go down that alley. You get the idea.
If people like you they'll watch out for you. PPThe same quality exists rightpphere in the
United States. I haven't explored thatppmuch in my own home country
cause it's a lot cheaper to travel for 6 months in a South America
or in Africa than it is in the United States. So I can
manage my resources more effectively. Well now I'm here
and I'm pleased
at this stage of my game to be in Minnesota to start this trip off
in a way where I get to meet these extraordinary people
who are friendly. They're kind, they're considerate
I never really heard of this before until PPI came up here this "Minnesotappnice"
You got to hug three times before you say goodbye. And they have a sense of humor
that's a great quality. That's something to be celebrated
and to be proud of. It's good to be
at a place where you can have that sense of community. Do we have
our challenges of course. Everybody has their challenges where were at.
We have the environmental challenges we have the social challenges etc.
But when you can start with that kind ofPPfoundation then there isppopportunity to
move forward a conscience choice collectively to be made.
We're doing good now. How can we get better and what does better look like?
That's what a healthy communities engage in those kind of conversations.
To wrap it around, this is why I come to have
these experiences to share this into schools
in to communities. Alright this is part of the world in which we share.
I believe that when... There is a great quote I saw it on a zoo in Omaha.
It goes like this. We can serve what we love. ppWe love what we understand
and we understand what we are taught. ppI think that sums it
up really well. And I what I want to do at least with kids and
adults, I want to teach them to fall in love with PPthe world. Cause life isppprecious we are given
a small window to make the most of it and to make the biggest contribution we possibly
can. And it's not going to come and reward us if we are just sitting on a couch
hoping that it will come to us. You got to be PPout and engaged in the world inppa way
that makes a positive contribution. That givesPPto the world, that gives toppthe community and
also at the same time giving to yourselfPPbecause that is the benefit.ppWhen I was up at
Lake Itasca. I went there early in the morning
to get photos of where it leaves the lake because most of the time there is a million people going
across it. And I met a young man up there PPwho had driven all night to getppto
the headwaters. We visited for a little bit and I gave
him my card and told him a little bit about my story. But we didn't talk that much
and then I asked him to take my photo.PPWe exchanged and I told himppwhat I was up to
We laughed a little bit and then he went on his way. Well I got an email from him today.
He goes I just wanted you to know that I just PPwent through a hard divorce. Ippdidn't tell you this
but your conversation with me really
touched something within me about reconnectingPPto what is really important toppme.
And I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me to be
reengaged in life. How do you put a dollar value
in that? So I'm doing, I know I'm doing what I was made to do.
I just got to find creative ways to continuePPto move forward with it. Toppmake that positive
contribution to plant the seeds. Dean: Now that is just awesome.
That really
That's a big help in helping me.
Good Good I'm anxious to see some pictures on your....
Thank you for watching. Join me again next week for another
edition of Common Ground. If you have an idea for
a Common Ground piece that pertains to north central Minnesota email us
at legacy@lptv.org or call us
at 218-333-3022.
To view any episode of Common Ground online visit us at lptv.org
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
To order individual segments or entire episodes of Common Ground please call
218-333-3020.
Common Ground is brought to you by thePPMinnesota Arts and CulturalppHeritage
Fund with money from the vote of the people on the 4th of November 2008.