Project Priapus

"Navy SEAL. ER medical doctor. Astronaut," Julie Chen read from the teleprompter. "It's not half of the Village People but one very special guest. Please welcome Jonathan Lee!"

The studio audience clapped.

A ruggedly handsome and muscular Chinese-American man, standing at six feet tall and dressed in a dark suit and tie, walked out from backstage to sit on the chair across from Julie, who unconsciously fanned herself with her cue cards.

"Hello... how should I address you? Lieutenant Lee? Dr. Lee?" Julie asked.

"Just Jon is fine," he smiled graciously.

The studio audience chuckled.

"So Jon, you have quite the impressive resume," Julie noted, looking down at her notes. "You graduated high school at the age of 15, graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of science in mathematics at the age of 18, and then got accepted at Harvard Medical School. But then you decided to join the United States Navy's Officer Candidate School at 19."

Jon smiles humbly when Julie paused to let the audience ooh and aah before continuing.

"You weren't just going into the Navy to be on a ship but in the Navy SEALs! You entered the Basic Underwater Demolition School training in Coronado, California where only about thirty percent of the candidates make it through the six gruelling months of training!"

The studio audience gasped.

"As a Navy SEAL you served two tours in Afghanistan," Julie added and paused to let the audience clap to thank Jon for his service. "You were awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals for rescuing US troops but also giving first aid to injured Taliban. Afterwards you decided to go back to medical school."

The studio audience gasped then clapped.

"Then you became an ER resident doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston!"

The studio audience clapped.

"But that's not all!" Julie exclaimed, smiling at the audience. "You decided to become an astronaut at NASA!"

The studio audience clapped.

"You entered the NASA Astronaut Corps and you were selected along with eleven others out of 18,000 applicants!"

The studio audience gasped then clapped.

"What haven't you done?" Julie laughed.

The studio audience laughed.

"Apparently getting married according to my mom," Jon chuckled.

The studio audience laughed.

"Speaking of your mom," Julie cheered, "here's Jon's mother, Mrs. Iris Lee!"

A petite Asian woman in her late fifties, but could pass for 40-years-old, nervously walked out to the stage.

"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Lee," Julie greeted Jon's mother with warm hug. "You must be very proud of your son!"

"Oh, yes, I am!" Iris nodded to the clapping of the studio audience as she sat next to her son.

"I know we are!" Julie cheered with the studio audience clapping.

"Your son has accomplished so many great things!" Julie smiled. "Very few of us wind up to become a Navy SEAL, a doctor, or an astronaut but your son has managed to become all three before he turned thirty!"

"Yes, he's a very good boy!" Iris beamed proudly while her son blushed.

"Some have called you a 'tiger mom'..." Julie began.

"What did you call me?" Iris interrupted with a flash of anger.

"She didn't call you that, mom," Jon assured his mother, gently place a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, okay..."

"...because of how strict of an upbringing you had with your son," Julie continued. "What do you think about that, Mrs. Lee?"

"I was no more strict than any other parent who wanted their child to be the best that they could be," Iris explained. "Maybe it is because white culture puts more emphasis on individualism and short-term self gratification compared to Asian cultures -- Chinese, Japanese, Korean -- where they think of the family first and have long-term goals. Enjoy life after you are successful!"

Julie was about to ask Iris another question but Jonathan cut her off.

"It's like when I did the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test it was gruelling -- seventy-five percent of the men who started in the BUD/S course didn't finish -- but after over a year of intense training you get the honor to wear this..." Jonathan showed the camera his Trident, a gold pin that identifies him as part of a select group that has endured SEAL training, earning him the title of certified special warfare operator.

"And yet you went on to be a medical doctor, an ER one no less!" Julie noted.

The studio audience clapped.

"I saw what bullets can do to the human body, Julie," Jonathan replied, looking down at his hands on his knees. "I tried to save friends and enemies alike on the battlefield with what first aid knowledge I had."

The studio audience clapped.

"So being a Navy SEAL and ER doctor wasn't enough?" Julie chuckled.

"I was just like any other American kid who wanted to be an astronaut when they grow up," Jonathan replied. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to enrol in the NASA Astronaut Corps since they only recruit every four or five years."

"So you had to put your career in the Navy and emergency room on hold to train. How was astronaut training compared to training to be a SEAL or a doctor?" Julie asked.

"Much, much easier!" Jonathan smiled.

The studio audience laughed.

Julie looked into the camera. "When we come back after the break, Jon will explain to us what is next for him."