Recently I watched The Lost City of Z, a well-crafted story based quite loosely of the true account of Percy Fawcett, who disappeared in 1925 while exploring uncharted regions of Brazil along the Amazon river. Though the artistic licenses taken were extensive, I think the film stands well by itself. It is a fascinating look at a man who is dedicated to exploration and finding his destiny.
In the film, Fawcett and his crew face perils of many kinds: attacks from natives, disease, infection, and loss of food and supplies. There is no doubt that such an expedition was a perilous and harrowing undertaking which required courage and a rugged stamina.
Perhaps more interesting than the exploratory expedition itself is the juxtaposition of Fawcett’s Amazonian escapades with his family life. Leaving his wife and growing family again and again strains his relationship with them all, especially his eldest son Jack who later accompanies him on his final odyssey.
Viewers of the film may very well come to a profound realization: the most perilous expedition of them all is fatherhood.
According to the narrative of The Lost City of Z, Fawcett was a man who sought destiny above legacy. He spent years searching for a lost civilization but in the meantime, neglected his own home. It’s a stark reminder that fatherhood is not to be taken lightly and it demands all the valor and vigor that an excursion down the Amazon does.
As I look ahead, with hope, to a family of my own, I am soberly inspired by films like The Lost City of Z. I experience a foreshadowing of anxiety imagining myself as I hold my newborn child, knowing next to nothing about how to raise him or her. I’m struck with a preemptive fear akin to the fear a man may feel when he pushes his raft from the shores of the Amazon. To set out on this great and perilous expedition is a noble calling but the costs of failure are high. The casualties are real but so are the rewards.
I look forward to fatherhood with anticipation but also with sober-mindedness. It is a high calling, a great privilege, a full joy but nonetheless, a perilous expedition.
Yes, there are many rewards…like reading a post like this. Well done and well thought.