Episode #27 feat. Mark Titus

What happens when a filmmaker and recovering alcoholic heads to a river to grieve his father, only to find an audiobook calling him to the wilderness?

In this twenty-seventh episode of Follow Me to the M-R-O-P!, host Brian Mueller sits down with Mark Titus for a deeply moving conversation about his May 2024 initiation in Deroche, British Columbia. Mark, an advocate for wild salmon and indigenous communities in Bristol Bay, shares his powerful journey of surrendering his armor and crossing the threshold into sacred space. He reflects on the "ritual of death," the mystical synchronicity of the number seven, and how the rites served as a master's course in his 12-step recovery journey. From reading Iron John in his twenties to discovering The Universal Christ while steelhead fishing, Mark's story is a beautiful testament to staying on the path of love, even in the midst of career crossroads and profound grief.

Episode Highlights

• The Golden Boy: Arriving in "The Nest" and weeping at the sight of a wild man holding a golden boy.
• Dying Before You Die: Confronting mortality in the ritual of death and finding true presence.
• The Synchronicity of Seven: The profound poetry of arriving at the rites exactly seven months after his father's death, with seven years of sobriety, and being assigned to cabin seven.
• A Master's Course on Recovery: How the rites accelerate the spiritual journey of the 12 steps without the rigidity of institutional religion.
• Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart: The ongoing legacy of Robert Bly's poetry shared between lifelong friends.

Links & Resources

• Mark Titus
• Choosing Presence (Sponsor)
• Practicing Presence App
• Illuman MROP
• The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr
• Adam's Return by Richard Rohr
• The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart: A Poetry Anthology by Robert Bly, et al.
• Brian Mueller (Host)

Credits

• First and foremost, thank you to Mark Titus for sharing his journey and his heart with us today.
• Thank you to Fr. Richard Rohr and the men of Illuman who have stewarded the Men’s Rites of Passage since 1996.
• Thank you to Jim Heaney and Jim Taylor for their dedication to Choosing Presence.

Music Credits:

• Slow Mo Dreams by Soundroll
• Becoming a Legend by Vens Adams