A Great Loss

Recently my cousin, Norris Erickson, DC passed away. He was not just a relative but a friend, mentor, and collegue. This is what I wrote as a tribute to him.

Neil Armstrong died yesterday. As I was reading his obituary it struck me how there are many similarities to Norris’s life story. Both had humble beginnings being born in a small town and moving around quite a bit in childhood. Both became fascinated with a principle (chiropractic/aviation) early in life and never lost that fascination, in fact, turning it into a passion. As with Neil, Norris served our country proudly if only for a short time in the military. But that shaped him in lasting ways and gave him a sense of patriotism that guided his life to the end. Both pursued higher education related to their lifelong passion and set off to make a difference for people. They took risks, not carelessly but necessarily. Each kept working toward a goal bigger than himself.

As he could, Norris started giving back to others. Early on he mentored other chiropractic students including myself. Then he became a leader among the alumni of the college and worked to keep the college focused on its mission. While Neil became a professor officially, Norris frequently returned to Palmer to provide insight to the students and unofficially became their teacher of life and chiropractic philosophy. Eventually he “adopted” whole classes to be even more involved.

While Norris didn’t have a singular “one small step for a man” moment, he regularly made steps towards the “giant leap” that is now transforming healthcare and people’s way of thinking about their body. Instead of ever more increasing drugs and surgery, Norris wanted people to think about how their body worked. He deeply wanted us to realize and understand the often discounted or ignored innate intelligence that drives each and every one of us. He fought hard in the headwinds of a society that took the phrase “better living through chemistry” and tried to apply it to the body without any regard for our inborn healing and regulating abilities.

Norris’s obituary points out his service in many organizations. But during his life I seldom heard him mention the leadership roles he had taken. Often he would talk about events from the Shriners, the Legion, or the Mason’s but never in the context of what he did. A great example was when he was instrumental in bringing the moving Vietnam Memorial Wall to Aurora. His statement to me was “we are bringing the wall to Aurora” not “I”. I didn’t know his key role in this until reading his obituary. But that was typical for Norris, get out there, get the job done, and not worry about who gets credit for it.

This is what is said of Neil as well. His family released a statement that I believe applies just as much to Norris. This is an excerpt: "[he was a] reluctant American hero [and had] served his nation proudly…While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves." Even the part about young people around the world fits him because he had substantial influence on Palmer chiropractic students who come from all over the world.

And finally, Neil Armstrong’s family responded this way when asked how best to honor Neil, “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty…” I can’t think of a better way to honor Norris either.