I am currently 51 years old, but how I ever attained this age is beyond me. There was a time that I couldn't picture myself over 25. But while the physical age keeps steadily increasing, I feel like I am stuck on 30 in my mind. No one ever need worry about my regressing into a second childhood - I never left the first one. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I'm thinking about becoming a fireman........or maybe a cowboy.

I am the third of six children, but fate was not kind to me. It decided to accumulate all the short, fat genes in the family and give them to me, while freely distributing the tall, skinny genes among my siblings. All the other males stand (or stood) 6'3" or more. The last time I was officially measured, I was 5'11 3/4". I round it off to call myself six feet tall, because there is a minimum height requirement to be allowed to stay in Texas. The image, you know.

There are many other ways I differ substantially from my siblings, in my view. In fact I have considered myself the black sheep of the family for many years. I don't mean this necessarily with a negative connotation, just a simple factual one. I am very proud of this "black sheep" designation - I worked long and hard to attain it and go through hell keeping it. Mr. Sherman, a family friend from the Texas Hill Country, told me when we first met that he had heard all the stories about me from my parents and wanted to meet the "legend". That may be a little much. Black sheep is fine with me. I believe I am more laid back, free spirited and independent thinking than my brothers and sisters.

Laid back? Oh yes. I have another philosophy I strongly believe in. If I can't control the outcome of something, or even do anything to affect it at all, it doesn't do me any good to worry about it. Worrying just causes ulcers. And even if I can change some bad situation, worrying too much about it will only affect my own ability to handle it. Consequently I don't worry about too much. It is true, however, that on occasion I do worry a lot about things I have no control over.

That is not to say I don't care. I care greatly for so very many things. I am a very emotional, passionate, romantic and sensitive individual - probably too much so for my own good, but I can't change what I am. I am also a very private person. Thus the feelings for something or someone may run deep but they won't necessarily show greatly on the outside, at least in public. (This summary tells more about me than most people learn in several months.) I also believe that I am kind and considerate of others - a gentleman. It is how I was raised. I still open doors for women and allow them to go first. I believe, too, that I am reasonably intelligent and sensible. I can back up the "intelligent" part of that statement - graduated from Rice University, member of Mensa - but the "sensible" part, you may just have to take my word for that. My actions don't always reflect it.

I could have gotten a lot more out of my college years if I had had some idea of what I wanted to be. As it was, I began as a Math major, with the idea of going into computers, switched to Biology when I briefly considered Dentistry, but ended up in Anthropology just so that I could graduate in four years. I knew I would never do anything with it professionally, although there may still be a Mayan city in the jungles of Guatemala waiting for me to discover. I still read as much as I can on Anthropology - it has remained an interest and a hobby all these years.

Interests, you ask? Well that opens up another whole can of worms. Reading and anthropology, with a specific interest in the native Americans, these are givens. But my primary passion is music. I love music - the melodies, the poetry of the writers, the emotions they make you feel. When I open that bottle on the beach and a genie appears granting me one wish, there will be no hesitation. My one wish would be for a good singing voice. I love most kinds of music - probably everything but rap and heavy metal. My favorite entertainer of all time is Roy Orbison. No one can touch his voice. There may never be another like it again. If you don't know any of his songs besides "Oh, Pretty Woman", "Blue Bayou" and "Crying", you will be in for a treat when you discover "She", "Communication Breakdown", "Ride Away", "Windsurfer", "Cry Softly, Lonely One", "Hound Dog Man", "Sweet Mama Blue" and so many, many more. When I set up another page somewhere with nothing but WAV files for thes songs, I'll let you know where it is. In the meantime, you can hear a little bit of "Love Hurts" on my Garner State Park page (see links).

I guess I'd better mention something about my work, since that is what seems to drive everything else. My background is in banking (9 years) and bank consulting (16 years). As a consultant I was fortunate to be able to travel all around the country, and I loved it. That's the rambler in me coming out. I spent part of a year in New Orleans trying to start up a web-based advertising company, but that went kaput. When I'm back on my feet I may try that one again, just in a different way. Right now I'm hoping to go into programming - for two reasons. There's a need in Houston, and there's a need all over the country. I can still ramble, taking short-term programming contracts here, there and yon. But I'll always eventually come home to Houston. That's where my heart is - what's left of it. And that's where my house is.

The house was built in 1917 and bought by my maternal grandfather in about 1925. When he died, no one else in the family seemed interested in it except for this black sheep. I like old things - things that have sentimental meaning for me or the family. I am currently restoring the house - a project I've been involved in off and on since I moved back into it 8 years ago. Hopefully before long it will be ready for a house warming party. There isn't all that much left to do except cosmetic things - painting and cleaning, and restoring the living room and dining room hardwood floors. I'm finished with the major tasks - leveling, new roof, siding removal. It has taken a long time because I've been doing one project at a time. Did I mention that I am also a procrastinator? I meant to join the Procrastinators Club of America, but just didn't get around to it. The Spanish have a good concept in "manana".

Eight years ago I was divorced - again. It was my third (black sheep strikes again). I guess I'm looking for something that may not exist. I hope it does. After a recent situation that occured in my life, I believe it does. So I'll just keep searching until I find it. One of my friends accuses me of having a woman in every port. This is NOT true. Not every city is on the coast. But in one particular port of call, I almost had it. It was there, I know it was - then it was gone. Oh, I was so close, closer to finding what I have always been searching for than with any of my wives. I pray that in our next lifetime, our next lovetime, we may find each other sooner as we walk the pathways of our existence. For this time around, I'm reminded of some words in the Roy Orbison song I mentioned earlier: "Love is like a stove, burns you when it's hot. Love hurts."

In case you haven't been able to tell, I also have a sense of humor. It may be somewhat eclectic (What's the difference between a duck?), but it has helped me maintain my sanity throughout the years............or has it? You be the judge. You can find out more about the basic me in the Photo Album page.

This page was last edited on June 8, 1998

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