A documentary I’ve been looking forward to seeing for the last two years has finally hit the big screen. My friend “Jesse’s Story” is here!
After seven years in the making, documentary filmmaker Mark Jacobs brings you a tale of tragedy turned into inspiration that will forever change the way you look at your world. Through stunning emotional moments of triumph and sadness, this film shares the life of Jesse Billauer, an up-and-coming star athlete, who sustained a spinal cord injury.
I posted the following blog entry on July 2, 2008. My life is very different than it was seven months ago. But the lessons I’ve learned from knowing Jesse will stay with me until California breaks off into the sea.
“What I Gots I Got and What I Have Not Does Not Matter” (July 2, 2008)
I’ve been feeling like obstacles are everywhere I turn lately – in work, in play, in romance, and in maintaining my sanity.
Pink slips are being passed out like tradeshow schwag. Pains at the pump are punching us all in the stomach on a daily basis. Freelance gigs are few and far between and getting more and more sparse. I’m jumping through hoops just trying to pay rent.
The nightly news has me feeling increasingly jaded. Fox News is reporting that a 12-year-old girl’s body has surfaced after her uncle allegedly planned to force her into a sex ring.
What is the meaning of all this???
With all of my connections and networking opportunities you’d think I’d have this part of life licked, and that I’d be able to clearly see beyond the darkness of the media, as well as the roller coaster ride I refer to as my torrid love affair with life in Los Angeles. But I don’t. I’m missing something.
Sure, I miss my family. I miss my cat. I miss my star-crossed lover, who’s face I still see in the news from time to time. But after reading my friend Jesse Billauer’s blog today, I realize the larger issue is that I’m missing the point. I’ve been so consumed with the weight of my anxiety and frustration that I’ve been missing all the gifts I possess, such as my saintly family and their undying support, my solid-as-rock friends, my voice, my humor, and even the exquisite beauty of what is sometimes known as pain. I’ve been missing all the possibilities that are just floating out there, circling around my head like eager thought bubbles waiting to burst.
Knowing Jesse has changed my life. Thirteen years ago, he was one of the top 100 surfers in the country. Then one day in Malibu, a tragic surfing accident rendered him quadriplegic. While my friend is unable to walk, he sees and hears more than I will ever be likely to absorb in this lifetime.
Jesse is a motivational speaker and the founder of the Life Rolls On Foundation, which is a non-profit 501(c)3 that serves as a grassroots resource and advocate for young people affected by spinal chord injury. Not only does this organization spread awareness about SCI, it encourages individuals to keep pursuing their dreams in life, in spite of their physical disabilities.
Jesse has taken the lead on setting an example for all Life Rolls On members, and for anyone who ever feels set back in life. And don’t go thinking this man would let a little thing like paralysis keep him away from his first lady love, the ocean. With a specially made board that allows him to lie flat on his stomach, Jesse is able to surf regularly. He is able to share his passion for the sport with other individuals living with spinal chord injury, during a yearly function called They Will Surf Again. People who cannot walk, let alone swim are able to ride waves and experience the beauty of the water, thanks to this program and a group of trusty volunteers.
With TWSA, annual Life Rolls On fundraisers, and notoriety in the surfing community, Jesse has become one of the most influential spinal chord injury crusaders since the late Christopher Reeve. Read Jesse’s blog and check out his website today. The passages he’s written have re-awakened me to all the wonders and sweet whispers of life that I’ve been forgetting for far too long.
http://www.jessebillauer.blogspot.com/
To learn more about Life Rolls On, visit http://www.liferollson.org.
