Mud, Sweat And Tears – Bears Biography

I’ve always had a thing about reading, one sec, let me rephrase that, not reading, I’d do anything to get out of it.  Like my dad I’m very practical, right from a young age if you gave me a pile of Lego bricks and no instructions I’d create a plane, boat or something complicated with moving parts. I’d also spend my days making rafts, building tree houses and learning knots. Then, as I’ve grown up working with my dad as a carpenters apprentice I’d solve problems that even he couldn’t get his head around!  So I guess spending time reading just never appealed to me, I’d much rather being doing something adventurous than reading about it.  

I also copy my dad quite a lot in character traits, we have a similar sense of humour and share interests.  Dad doesn’t read much either so I often use him as an excuse!!!  “Mum, why do I need to read books?  Dad’s never picked one up in this life and he’s an ok guy.”  However that one never worked.   

As I grew older I gradually warmed towards books by reading ones that I enjoyed and found gripping.  One of my favourite authors is, Bear Grylls.  When I first read his Beck Granger Mission Survival kids series it was right up my street, and although he was just a fictional character, Beck  was a great role model, someone who loved adventure, being outside, helping people and so many other good qualities and things that I felt connected to.    

When I was first really getting into survival and learning about it Bear was one of my heroes.   For birthdays I’d get his trousers and for Christmas his jacket.  My pocket money was spent on his latest series of Born Survivor or Man VS Wild.  I’d then sit down and watch them and say “I could do that”,  “I’d eat that bug”,  “I’d climb up that mountain”, “I want to do that one day.”  

Now I’m reading another book of Bears, the one of his life’s journey, his autobiography, ‘Mud, Sweat and Tears.’  I’ve read it twice but this time I’m about a third in and its brilliant,  his motivation is incredible, you can tell his quote “Never Give Up” has defined him since he was just a lad.

But the biggest thing that’s really stuck out to me the most is Bear’s relationship with his dad, this bit really connected me with him.  Bear and his dad were so close, the two of them were always off on some adventure and it was his father who taught him to love the outdoors as a kid.  

Me and my dad are the same, we’ve always been very close and some of my best memories and adventures are with him.  He too was the person who really gave me my love for the wild and that was given to him from his father.   A big part of Junior Survivor is all about trying to build bonds between lads and dads, because often just that one close bond can change your life forever.  

I see my dad as a role model and  I look up to him.  What do you think a close bond between father and son looks like?  This is what I think and its very simple, it boils down to one word, TRUST,  not just lads trusting their dads, but dads trusting their lads.  

A few years back I hit some tough times with my own struggles and the bond I had built with my dad over my whole life was looking like it was going to be destroyed.  We battled.  In the end it turned out that our bond was too strong to be  broken.

But what was it that made our relationship hard and sturdy in the first place?  How can you build that bond?  What do you need to do?  Well, stay turned because I want to tell you.

I know that if you build a close relationship and strong bond with your dad or your son, uncle or nephew, scout leader or lad at your youth club its going to be the best investment you’ll ever make.