Wading and Waiting: Life Lessons from a Duck Hunter

EPISODE #40  |  December 9th, 2019

Guest: Jon Franko, Cofounder, Gorilla76

Hiding in plain sight, under the guise of the marshy thatch of a duck blind, Jon Franko has spent countless hours wading in still waters and standing by for the flocks’ glide pass to reach the landing zone. Not knowing at the onset of the hunt what the day will bring or what the final waterfowl tally will be, but realizing that success depends largely on patience and timing, avid hunters understand the “wait.” And the “catch.” Duck hunting has taught Jon a lot about life.

Just a few years ago, the 30-something industrial marketing entrepreneur and outdoorsman found himself plucking those lessons from experience and wading through a year-long hunt of an altogether different nature. Doctors couldn’t explain why, despite taking good care of himself, Jon “felt like garbage” and was losing weight. Finally, a neurologist caught sight of what was hidden for at least an entire decade. Jon had Multiple Sclerosis. In this week’s Mental Health Matters episode with Executive Director Tom Duff, LCSW, hear how Jon has attacked his diagnosis, rather than let it define him. And learn how, by applying the patience and timing of the duck hunter that he is, Jon has accepted the greatest physical challenge of his life and the mental-health conditions that have accompanied it.