Dustan Jackson is the Author of the Week

Interviewed the author Dustan Jackson on The Relatable Voice Podcast. Dustan and his wife were traveling to Cancun to stay at an all-inclusive hotel. At the end of the trip, Dustan wakes up in a ditch, wondering where he is and what has gone wrong. He shares his harrowing experience in his new book, “Surviving Life: Mugged in Mexico.”

Do you feel like your making the right decisions or are you just surviving life?

Imaging heading back in time to that single moment in life where you had a decision to go left or right, when you think back what do think would have happened if you went the other way.

My name is Dustan Jackson and I want to talk about what happens when you make the wrong choice instead of the right one, and was it for the best?

“Its not always about what you lose, but more about what did you learn.”

After drinking all week in Cancun. I find myself on the very last day jumping in a cab intoxicated to get a can of Grizzly Wintergreen long cut.  And instead of finding a can of chew I end waking up in a ditch with cut’s and bruises all over my body, my left shoulder is shattered and not working.  I look down and all my cloths are gone to.

What have I got myself into, I think.

Flash back 15 years to another critical decision. Another decision that either take us left or right. One day as we were drinking on the river I decide to stop at a gas station to grab a can of Grizzly Wintergreen long cut on my way home. As I am in the gas station someone drives through the parking lot and wrecks into my parked car, talk about luck.

Now I was a fire fighter at this time and I knew it could cost me my job so I did everything I could to get out of it.

But like my arm in Mexico, I lost my job.

 This was the first and the last big sign that maybe I shouldn’t be drinking.

With two critical moments in my life where alcohol has made my life unmanageable by this time. I have had the bad country song happen to me. I have lost the house, the kids, the family, the career, and now the use of my shoulder. Yes my left shoulder no longer works.

I finally start seeing a pattern in my life with me and the decisions I was making. I got the opportunity to see things first hand as a fire fighter. We see drunk drivers and abusive relationships. And if that wasn’t enough one incident I speak in the book about a lady who lost her life as she was sober and her drunk boyfriend was driving.

But if we are going to talk about all aspect of this book I would like to bring up the dangers of Mexico. I didn’t realize how common things were happening until I started to share my story. Now days it is sad that it happens so often that no one really talks about it unless there dead or kidnapped. But muggings, rapes and injuries happen quite often down there to tourists.

 I get it happens in a lot of places, but if you could avoid it would you?

There are study’s showing almost one person every other day is getting mugged in Mexico. and that’s just what we can track, I’m sure there is stuff we don’t hear about. Just the people I have met face to face while sharing my story, 8 people have lost someone close to them in Mexico. And that’s just with the people I have shared my story in front of here in Utah. I’m sure there is many more.

The book will go over some of the things to avoid while in Mexico and what dangers to look out for while enjoying an inspirational story. How 20 years of drinking led up to last drink and can of chew Dustan ever had and how it turned his life around. He talks of how he found happiness after being lost for so many years.

So be careful and be safe when traveling to Mexico be wise stay in groups and only travel during the day with a clear head. If you absolutely have to go to Mexico. I know the waters are warm, but we have beautiful beaches here in Hawaii and also Florida. To be honest I think they have caught on to the cost people pay for things in other areas. Cause it doesn’t really feel cost effective to go to Mexico, as you would think. But be careful of the decisions you make and where they lead. 

We are all just surviving life. Thanks you guys be safe and god bless I hope you enjoy the book. 

Find out more about Dustan at: https://dustanjackson.com/

Listen to Dustan’s interview below.