I parked the cruiser at the police station and fled to Colorado. Within about a year, though, I knew I’d made a horrible mess of my life. I hitchhiked back home and turned myself in. I’d planned to follow in my father’s footsteps and work as a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, but with my record, that path wasn’t an option.

After I served my sentence, I was hired by the state’s first commercial rafting company. In 1978, I took over the business and named it Los Rios River Runners. Running a white water rafting business in the middle of the desert during a drought has its challenges. To survive, we’ve expanded our offerings to include Native cultural events, music and yoga workshops. That healing energy is still there, even when the water is low.

There’s no deeper connection than what I have to this river. The water we’re floating on feeds our crops. It’s the water we drink. It’s our being, our substance, our energy, our soul. I’m a founding member of a nonprofit group that fights to keep the river clean and hold polluters accountable.

Many of our river guides have worked for me for 30, 35 years. I’ve seen many marriages and a whole batch of kids, and we have several second-generation guides.

I’ve learned to trust and empower my employees. Everything is in waves. Water comes in waves, light comes in waves, energy comes in waves. Your life is a series of waves. Up and down, up and down. You’re here now, but in a little while, you’re going to be someplace else. —As told to Gregg Segal