I chose to be a good student when it was interesting, not so much if bored. My love of biology began early spending most of my youth in outdoor adventures crayfishing or as we say crawdad fishing with my childhood friend, Bud McCasland, partners in mischief until he passed away in 2015.

I attended University of Texas Arlington as a biology major, met my first wife married, children came switched to business degree later. My career in insurance underwriting, the risk assessment side began in 1970, my focus mainly pertained to medical and financial risk analysis, I completed insurance studies and hold designations of Chartered Life Underwriter, Fellowship Life Management Institute, Fellowship of Life Underwriting, all graduate  level education programs in addition to a Bachelor Degree in Computer Information Management from Our Lady of the Lake University. I retired this year after 55 years in my profession.

I teach and train Tae Kwon Do with a local Korean Grand Master, competed in some tournaments with gold medals over age 70 in state championships, but the catch is I was the only over 70 still standing.  The discipline and physical demands are a plan to remain active until the day I can no longer be active.

Aside from the martial arts I am a student of Yoga which helps with meditation, physical strength, flexibility and mindfulness, a proud “Woke” Progressive, believer of nature as a healer, follower of Yeshua’s ministry and Buddhist principals.

On a more personal note, lost my wife of 37 years in 2022 to cancer, married twice previously with children she was a stalwart of a stepmother who took no crap from step children who wanted to test her. I miss her every day.

My children range in age from 57, my oldest daughter to age 25, Barbara and my adopted son, making him the youngest of 5 children, a step daughter I love like my own, 9 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren, and Jack has not added to the mix yet.

Mom and Dad grew up in West Texas from farming and ranching families, mom’s family settled Texas in 1828 as part of the Dewitt Colony of the Republic of Mexico survived the Texas Revolution, Dad’s father immigrated from England in !880 met his wife and established a ranch in Coleman County Texas by joining their two ranches forming a ranch of 1280 acres where they raised cattle until 1922. Grandfather Jacob established the First National Bank of Coleman.

With this history it is no wonder I took an interest in cowboy gatherings, rodeos, established a small hobby farm in Ohio with horses, bird dogs, orchard and garden which we sold to move back to Texas when my wife became terminally ill. Her death changed me in such unexpected ways, the publishing of this work is a product of that huge life change.

My writing began much earlier in college, perhaps, I enjoyed research so written papers are a must, I wrote articles for professional journals and began writing poetry as a means of dealing with my career changes, the loss of my parents to old age, friends and family changes and a means of expressing my deepest feelings. Until this publication, these works have remained very private introverts mask, it’s true.

I now reside in a small town near my original home in Mesquite, suburban close to nature, garden, fire pit, kayak with a lot of paddle miles, Roadie the cat and Scout my German Shorthaired Pointer who must outlive me. This is the most soulful project in my life, it captures love, grief, successes, and heartfelt hope and faith. I hope you find it worthy.

As a legacy to my children who survived my feral years of growing into a man, to show them a side of me that reflects who I am, have always been, but worked diligently at masking my vulnerability, deeply emotional side, my apologies for waiting so long. Love you more than the moon and stars.