Ep. 336: Badass Granddad John Graham on Denali, Vietnam, Leaving His Body & Finding Real Meaning

He made a first-ever climb of Denali’s north face, hitchhiked around the world at 22, got thrown out of two countries in one week, and was one of the last Americans standing in northern South Vietnam when the North invaded in 1972. Now 84, John Graham is “Badass Granddad” to 127,000 followers, and in this episode he tells Zach how an adrenaline junkie learned that the biggest adventure of all is finding meaning.

John opens up about the night on a freighter at 17 that turned a bullied, skinny kid from Tacoma into a thrill-seeker; the moment in Hue when he realized he’d become a “moral monster”; and the PTSD, encounter groups, and inner work that turned his life around, leading to his work at the United Nations, including his role in the fight to end apartheid. He also shares a story he rarely tells: a three-year period of psychic experiences, deep meditative trances, and leaving his body, and what he believes it taught him.

Plus, the story of the Giraffe Heroes Project, founded by his wife Ann Medlock to tell the stories of people who stick their necks out for the common good, and why John thinks service is the most stable source of meaning there is.

Links:

Giraffe Heroes Project: https://www.giraffe.org/ 
https://www.johngraham.org/badass-granddad 
https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnGraham29 
John's Books: https://www.johngraham.org/books 

Have a story to share or feedback on the show? Email zach@everythingandanythingpodcast.com

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