MY 2 CENTS By Randy Rowles A LIFE FORGED BY FIRE AND FAITH.
A couple of months ago, I made a short post on LinkedIn. It was just a few honest words about where I came from and what still weighs heavy on my heart. I didn’t write it for attention; I wrote it because I needed to say it. Since then, I’ve been asked to release this narrative more broadly in Rotor Pro. I’ve agreed because I believe these words need to be heard.
I write this not as the champion of my own life, but as someone who fails more than he succeeds. I’m a man trying to reach the bar in the things I speak about, yet who still struggles to clear that bar. This struggle isn’t easy, but it is necessary.
I grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, in a life that mirrored the old TV show “Flipper.” Those days were simple, often spent on the intracoastal waterway with friends, finding freedom in salty air and sunlight. We didn’t have much – not even a livable home by most standards. In fact, our house was declared unfit for occupancy. But my parents, through grit and faith, made it work.
My father battled demons fueled by alcohol. When those demons slept, he was a kind, hardworking man. But when they woke, violence followed.
I carry none of his addictions, but I know my own demons well: anger, frustration and impatience. It’s my family that bears the weight of them. I’ve chosen to deny the power that too much alcohol held over my father. That demon knows it is not welcome in my life.
We all face demons. They don’t ask permission to arrive, but we choose how to confront them. Acknowledging them gives us the power to build something stronger: a life of purpose guarded by honesty and forged by struggle.
We are the curators of our destiny. We are responsible for our tomorrows.
That’s become harder to grasp in this world we live in now. Social media has stolen much of our focus, our peace, and in many cases, our relationships. It thrives on distraction, feeding us meaningless content that keeps us scrolling while the important things — our time, our connection, our purpose — just slip away. Even worse, it amplifies every disagreement
8 May/June 2025 WHY NOT ME?
and divides us from people we once cared about over subjects far bigger than any of us. At the end of the social-media scroll, nobody wins.
Mental health has become a quiet crisis. So many people — especially in aviation — are struggling behind closed doors and afraid that speaking up might cost them their careers, families and reputation. The fear of being grounded has grounded too many emotionally. We’ve created a culture where suffering in silence is seen as strength, and reaching out for help is viewed as weakness. That must change.
Then there’s the loneliness. Not the kind that comes from being alone, but the kind that comes from feeling unseen. We live in a hyper-connected world, but more people than ever are isolated – disconnected by politics, beliefs, and the fear of being misunderstood. Disagreements that once led to conversation now lead to division. In isolation, people are hurting.
Everyone has challenges. Everyone is fighting something. So, be kind. To others, yes, but also to yourself. Take care of the people who show up for you. And take care of you.
The helicopter industry has given me so much. It’s my passion. It’s my profession. Still, it can be a mean and vicious place. It’s all-consuming, if you let it be. You can give it your time, your health, your attention, your family – and it will still want more. Remember this: It will never love you back.
That’s why what matters most is people: your family, your real friends, and yourself.
God has always played a role in my life. My mother was a Pentecostal pastor, and I was raised in the scriptures. Those teachings gave me a foundation, but life experience gives you another kind of truth — the one you feel in your gut, the one shaped by your scars. Faith doesn’t live only in a book; it lives in the moments you survive and the choices you make every day.
No one else gets to tell you how to feel. No one else decides your worth. No one else defines your happiness. That’s on us — on you and on me.
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