Mark Watney is my Hero

​Yes, Mark Watney, the fictional hero of the book The Martian by Andy Weir, is a man who inspires me to be a better person. I wrote most of this post in my head two weeks ago, much earlier in my recovery, and just hadn’t gotten around to writing it out and posting it. But, tonight I finished listening to the audiobook and am inspired to give credit where credit is due: to author Andy Weir, to R.C. Bray, who read the audiobook, and to their creation, Mark Watney.
 
I’ve been listening to the book since my first day in the ICU after my surgery. In the first two weeks of my recovery, Mark Watney was my regular companion and helped me keep perspective. Thinking I had it bad? Mark had it much worse!
 

• When I was feeling isolated and lonely, I remembered that Mark was ON MARS and out of communication for months, while I could call someone up, drive somewhere, or post something on Facebook and immediately be in contact with a loved one or friend.
• When I was irritated at having to eat with a syringe and catheter, I remembered that Mark faced starvation and found a way to survive which involved eating only potatoes for months. Suddenly, being able to go to the store anytime and eat anything I could puree didn’t seem such a hardship.
• When I felt like I was suffocating with my CPAP and struggling to breathe with it, I thought of Mark having to rely on life support systems for months on a planet without breathable atmosphere, never going “outside” except in an EVA suit, never breathing freely as we do on Earth, always having to trust that machinery. When I aspired to follow Mark’s patient example, I could put my own mask back on and breathe without panic or fear.

 
I admire Mark’s clever and creative mind, careful attention to details, knowledge in so many scientific fields, readiness and ability to work through the math, and perseverance in getting the tedious work done. His down-to-earth attitude and humor are also inspiring. Each time I listen to this book, I find myself trying to emulate these great qualities in my own life. What a wonderful thing, to be so moved by a work of fiction. 
 
Though I do like Disco.