Journeying From Pain to Purpose
/Journeying From Pain to Purpose
By: Julia Torres
“Everybody always says it’s not about getting to the goal, it’s about the journey and the journey is what teaches you, the journey is what you need to appreciate, all the little moments that are going to get us to that victory.” ~ Johnathan Naranjo
I had the opportunity to discuss with Johnathan Naranjo his story of loss evolving to hope; it led to this interview. We at Blue have a special place in our hearts for those who die from suicide; it saddens and angers us; we still miss each individual. There is always a way out. Please reach out.
The Blue Magazine: Tell us how your journey began.
Johnathan Naranjo: In 2014, there were two climactic events in my life where we lost Rosangela Crespo, my son’s mother, somebody special, and on the business side of things, everything went downhill. It was kind of like, what happened? Once Rosie passed, she was so young, it really made me think, we never know when we’re going to go, so this feeling came over me, like I was awakened to choose the path I was meant to be on.
Any regrets that you should’ve known or could’ve stopped it?
Death by suicide was a huge shock to all of us, although we knew she wasn't feeling well, we never thought she had any intentions of taking her own life. Personally, I was in shock, I even had a friend fly in to stay with me. I truly experienced the five stages of grief. We all always have that feeling of what if when we lose someone and that teaches us to be more present with our loved ones. Life gets busy, but in our chaos, don't forget the people who matter most in your life. Call, hug, kiss them, ask if they are okay, if they need anything.
What was that path you mentioned earlier?
It was always a dream of mine to create something from the stories I developed in my formative years, and after Rosie passed, the company I worked for also went under. So I put my adult life on hold, spent time with my kids and started a plan to create my company, Flamewrite Entertainment.
How did the name Flamewrite originate?
In Flamewrite, the fiery hand on my company logo, represents the Creator's hand, creation, the ability to create. As a kid, I always loved those old biblical and swords and sorcery movies, and in “The Ten Commandments”, my favorite part was when God’s fiery hand wrote the Ten Commandments for Moses, it was very impactful for me. Another fiery hand appeared at King Belshazzar's feast and the king called Daniel for an interpretation. Daniel, inspired by God, told him what was going to happen to him for not obeying God (www.flamewrite.com).
What is the premise of the 30-page comic book you are about to complete?
Led by Colonel Chasin, a team of Special Ops soldiers are ordered to seize control of an underground city of ruins from a band of savage terrorists, a city said to hide long-lost powers derived from ancient Sumeria. But when the two forces unleash the long-buried secrets, they discover that divine power has a will of its own and wielding it is not a blessing but an eternal curse. However, to not give too much away, the story is also about brotherhood, love and loyalty. The main character, Colonel Chasin, goes through some PTSD when dealing with what happens in his journey.
Tell us what you learned in this journey.
I learned to not take things for granted and to not let fear get in the way of doing anything you want to, because one day, you won’t be as strong to do them. You don’t want to have regrets.
How did Rosie influence this?
When Rosie passed, our son was twelve, at an age where he understands the severity of what happened. To help his grieving process, we did a lot of traveling and spent time with family, to get his mind off of things. I also took him to comic book conventions and introduced him to that world I loved so much growing up. There, I became very nostalgic and inspired to accomplish my dream. I wanted to use my military action story to shine a light on mental health. So many of our veterans are committing suicide, and it’s so sad to me, I hope the little I'm able to do can make a difference in at least one life.
It sounds as you experienced loss, God was giving you something to hope for.
Yes, definitely. This project is very special to our family, due to what happened to Rosie, who lost her battle against PTSD while serving in the US Army. In my crowdfunding campaign, I plan on raising money and donating a portion of the proceeds for Mental Health Awareness to support our men and women in uniform and their families who are struggling from Mental Health.
What encouragement can you give those who have experienced a loved one’s death caused by PTSD?
There is no problem worth taking your life over. Reach out to someone, anyone, even a stranger, you can call suicide prevention numbers where there are people ready to help you. We all go through things and sometimes we just can't do it alone. We need to really learn how to self-love and not be so hard on ourselves. Whatever the problem or feeling you're having, with time it will pass. Life is a winding road with ups and downs and sometimes we need help to just get through it. The pain doesn’t really ever completely go away, it takes time. What helped me was my kids’ love, my family’s love and support, keeping myself and my kids busy, happy and being physically active. Life is short, hard, but we can still enjoy it.
Julia Torres earned a Master of Science in Homeland Security with a certification in Terrorism Studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University; a Jersey City State College, K-12 Teacher Certification; and a Bachelor of Arts Visual Arts from Rutgers University, where she enlisted in the Army Reserves. Upon graduating Rutgers, she began a career in law enforcement, and later volunteered for the Gulf War. Once home, she worked undercover until retiring in 2001 due to a Gulf War illness. Since then, she has done volunteer work, acted, and written two non-fiction books.
