ABOUT ME

August 18, 2025

I was born on October 24, 1972 in Los Angeles, CA. I am of largely European descent, mostly Spanish and Portuguese. I also have Native American ancestry. I have two adult sons and one grandchild. I am the only child of my parents, both deceased, but not their only children. My mother fell victim to homicide when I was two years and five months old. Growing up without a mother profoundly impacted my life. I lived with my father and his family in Sacramento, CA from 1978 to 1985. I currently reside in lovely Northern California.

At 13 I left home and became an emancipated minor at 14, a month shy of my 15th birthday. I was estranged from my father for most of my life, until a year before his passing in 2006 when we had a five-hour telephone call while I was in Israel. I was baptized a Roman Catholic in infancy, and raised in an evangelical Christian home. The teachings of Jesus profoundly influenced my life. Still, I converted to Judaism under the Masorti, or Conservative movement in 2003, and emigrated to Israel in 2004. I stopped practicing Judaism in 2005. On August 4, 2025, I renounced Israeli citizenship for political and religious reasons. I am no longer legally Jewish.

I have always been an avid reader, as I grew up reading the Bible and many books. When I was in grade school, maybe 4th grade, after reading The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, I wondered how people wrote such incredible stories. Later, in 7th grade, during my first essay assignment in my English Class, I discovered a passion for writing that has filled me my whole life. I have always been an inquisitive person. I wanted to understand poverty and injustice and suffering. I wanted to make sense of my own life. What I have come to understand is that often the answer is in the question. And, the one thing that we can change is ourselves.

I have made many mistakes and I have failed forward my entire life. Resilience and tenacity of purpose are my greatest strengths. What inspires me most is to make a positive contribution to this world. To overcome the bad in my life and transform it into a good and useful purpose. I write from experience. I have done a lot in my life and I have seen a lot. In many ways, my life was the textbook that some people learn from in school.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from American Public University in Charles Town, WV, which involved a 20-year effort. During this time I studied many subjects, from economics and nutrition to transportation logistics and social deviance. I also studied classical history, humanities and creative writing as a graduate student for a year. I am a veteran of the U.S. Army. I served honorably during the Global War on Terrorism, and prepared for this by taking courses in Terrorism Studies, The Army Organization and Effective Army Writing.

Having overcome much adversity in life, I have come to realize that gratitude anchors us to the breath of being, that is life, as gratitude facilitates a condition of grace and the foundation upon which to build well-being. A life well-lived happens in everyday moments, both big and small. I am so grateful for this incredible life journey.