Mike Rowe knows tough jobs when he sees them, but they’re nothing like this.
On Sunday, Rowe, the former host of “Dirty Jobs,” posted a reflection on his Facebook page telling the story of Staff Sergeant Travis Mills. Rowe recently met Mills, a quadruple amputee veteran of Afghanistan, at The Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C.
Rowe said that Mills approached him and asked how Rowe was able to work in such difficult conditions.
Rowe didn’t know how to respond.
“Can you imagine? How exactly does one answer a question like that from a guy like this?” Rowe wrote.
Mills’ appearance even caused Rowe to hesitate.
“I’ve seen a lot of things over the years, and I’ve gotten good at pretending there’s nothing unusual when there clearly is. But I was completely unprepared for this,” Rowe said.
The conversation between Rowe and Mills started about “Dirty Jobs” but continued with Mills’ story.
“He has a motto: Never Give Up – Never Quit. He has a Foundation. He’s featured in a new documentary. He also has a wife and a kid, and a deeply personal commitment to help other wounded Vets cope with their injuries,” Rowe wrote.
This incredible story of perseverance left Rowe wondering: Why hadn’t he seen Mills before on any commercial or PSA about wounded veterans?
“‘I’m not a victim, Mike. And I refuse to be portrayed that way. Case closed,'” Mills explained to Rowe.
Mills’ story left Rowe inspired.
“Fact is, Travis is missing more than a few original parts; he’s missing all traces of self-pity. And that’s presents a challenge for mortals like me. Because it’s a hell of a thing to feel put out because a crowd of fans are making me late for an important meeting, and then listen to a guy with no arms or legs tell me how lucky he is, and how much he appreciates all my hard work,” wrote Rowe.
Rowe’s full reflection can be found here, and more about Mills’ foundation is here.
(h/t IJ Review)
