Drink, Learn, Absorb | An interview with Jordan Ferguson
(You can check out his blog at jordanferguson.tumblr.com)
-Your name?
My name is Jordan Michael Ferguson, AKA Jordan Jacobs.
-Your location?
I currently live in Lawton, Oklahoma. I’ve resided in many cities in this country, also in Italy for a few years. But I have lived here for approximately 14 years.
-Your age?
23, but my inability to grow a full beard makes me feel like I’m 14 sometimes.
-How would you describe yourself as a person, currently. Who are you now, today?
I would say that I am a determined and industrious individual who takes pride in everything he does. I am a Southern kid who believes strongly in respect and being a gentleman. I highly value artistic expression and am always involved in at least one means of it, if not several. My mind never rests. I believe in hard work and getting things done. Every day I try to go to sleep a better man than when I woke up that morning. Today I am a man coming to grips with adulthood and reality. I have goals that I will reach no matter what, so I push myself hard daily. Life has tried to kill me many times, but I will not let it. I am ready and defiant.
-What is your story?
I was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. My father was in the military, so I grew up in many different cities and Army bases. I attended more schools than I can remember. Eventually, my family moved to Lawton where my father retired. I grew up reading every book I could find and having my G.I. Joes compete in wrestling matches. After attending a private Christian school and living a generally sheltered existence, I discovered music at the age of thirteen. I fell deeply in love with music and it consumed the majority of my thoughts. Punk rock, metal and hardcore are what brought me out of my shell of shyness and conventionality, starting my drive to express myself creatively. I started my first band at fourteen. I was the vocalist only because I couldn’t do anything else. I sang for numerous bands over the years, differing in genres, but always in the realm of heavy music. I have played more shows than I can count and I’ve always loved it.
I graduated from high school in 2004, then I studied English and Journalism at Cameron University in Lawton, and graduated in 2008. I started teaching English at age 21 at the private school I graduated from. My love for literature and experience with writing lyrics as a vocalist inspired me to pursue writing. I have been writing poetry for four years, and it is something I take very seriously and greatly enjoy. I have been published before, but I tend to spend more time writing than the pursuit of being published. Instead, I self-released a small book of poetry in the fall of 2008 entitled “Sucking the Salt from God’s Sweat”. I am also currently pursuing another dream of mine in training to become a professional wrestler. I view it as a physical art form and another mode of self-expression. I have been training hard since June of this year and should be debuting on the independent scene at the beginning of next year. I have lived a lot in twenty-three years — most of the time I feel much older than I actually am.
-Why were you in Italy for a few years?
My father was stationed in Vicenza during the Persian Gulf War. He guarded the country against terrorism during that time, doing such things as checking school buses for bombs. He then left for Saudi Arabia and Turkey while my family stayed behind. My first memories belong to Italy and it was a beautiful country to be a child in. The only major issue came from being the only English-speaking child in my schools. But I can’t wait to return one day. I wouldn’t be looked down upon for getting all wine-drunk, unlike when I was four.
-Who, or what, was your first love?
I would have to say music. When I fell in love with music, I fell hard and never recovered. It started with punk rock, but heavy music moved me in a very real way. Today, I appreciate any form of music as long as it is good, but there is nothing else like the aggression and sheer emotional power in extreme music. Being in a band is never easy, but I always cherished the ability to play music. I don’t think I have ever been as satisfied as when I am on stage, screaming into a microphone, using every last ounce of energy to deal with the pain of living. It is tremendously cathartic for me and I hope it has been for the people I have played for as well. I always give my all on stage, whether for two people or two hundred. My music career is currently on the back burner, but I am involved in a grindcore/death metal project called Atacama. It can be heard at www.myspace.com/visitatacama.
-What do you hate?
Anxiety. I’ve been crippled by a severe anxiety disorder for much of my life, and have only this year been able to finally overcome it. It is a beast that almost destroyed me. I still deal with it today, but after much hard work and determination, it is now behind me instead of in front of me. Laziness and not taking pride in one’s self are also things that I detest. Then there’s bad beer. Can’t leave that out.
-How did you come to terms with your anxiety?
It really came down to facing my problem head-on. After it had affected my life so severely for years, I knew I had to do whatever it would take to truly live my life. I had to throw my fears and doubts off, forcing my mind and body to go where they couldn’t before. So I finally found a proper medication and worked hard on getting my body in shape. My make-or-break point came in deciding to become a professional wrestler. Making that decision and following through was how I proved to myself that I could overcome my demons.
-What moves you? What inspires you? What “makes you tick”?
Both the simplicity and the complexity of life interest me to no end. The center between these two poles keeps my head alive. Also things like baseball, dogs, collecting vinyl, good beer, good bourbon, poetry, sludge metal, Johnny Cash, cigars, Lil’ Jon, my parents, my grandmother, learning, teaching, literature, professional wrestling, old books, pain, laughter and insanity.
-Favorite color(s)?
Dark red.
-What do you “do” (work etc.)?
I used to teach at a private school but I am currently a substitute teacher. I am in the process of getting certified to teach high school English. My other career is professional wrestling. I am still in training, which requires almost all of my time spent not teaching. Once I finish my training school, I plan to travel around Oklahoma and most likely other states as well, to wrestle as much as possible. I also write, and I plan on continuing to do so and to go wherever it leads me.
-What is the title of your blog?
Progression Through Aggression.
-Why did you choose that title?
Those are the words I live by. I fought, scratched and clawed for everything that I have today. Nothing was handed to me coming up, I had to do things myself. And now that I have grown up, that is how I continue to live. If I do something, I do it % 120, with all my aggression. I move forward by lowering my head, gritting my teeth and just going for it.
-There are hundreds of thousands of blogs, what makes your blog unique?
I believe that it is unique because it is a strange concoction of things. I use it to share my poetry, especially new material that has not been printed before. But I also use it to discuss my up-and-coming wrestling career. I tell stories about training and the wrestling business that offer a distinctive view on what I do. In addition, I like to share things that are funny and/or meaningful to me – things that I think other eyes should bear witness to besides mine.
-Do you feel that your blog has a specific purpose? Is there a specific group that you are trying to reach?
Progression Through Aggression does not have a specific purpose because I do not have a specific purpose. The only specific groups that I occasionally write towards are wrestling blogs and those that appreciate serious poetry. If there is any purpose, it is just to make you think for a few moments. Maybe teach you a thing or two that you didn’t know before. My blog reads the German words “Denken Sie, lernen Sie, absorbieren,” which translates to English as “Drink, learn, absorb.”
(This interview, like all Blog•ter•view Project interviews, is property of Blog•ter•view Project under a CC BY NC SA license. You can learn more about that by clicking here.)
