My Personal Bio

I was born into a large family in a small town in Georgia. Throughout my life I have had several “large splash events” that have shaped my course. First, I was born into a splash, being the sixth of seven children, which in itself creates a dynamic of both competition and comradery. Needless to say, as the youngest boy in the family, my share of the family meal always seemed a little bit less than what others got. I never hurt for food, however. I was very healthy.

The second major splash was a major car accident at the age of 5, which led to broken bones and a TBI that doctors claimed should have killed me. It simultaneously gave me a strange sense of both vulnerability and invincibility. Then, roughly a year later, my parents divorced, creating a third major splash in my life. Jump ahead 18 years, and my fourth major splash joyfully occurred when I got married, followed by three more splashes with each child I had. I’m pretty sure the third child broke me, at least for 2-3 years (whew!).

In the midst of these splashes, I found both success and struggle. I was popular and successful in school but was incredibly shy. I earned multiple educational degrees with solid GPAs. And I have worked for several companies, earning promotions and accolades. But I have struggled with ADHD, depression, and anxiety throughout, while I have simultaneously achieved a greater awareness of general human social-emotional-psychological development. And in my relationship with others, I epitomize the two-sided coin: in strength, I feel and understand strongly what others are experiencing, but at the same time, in vulnerability, I feel and understand strongly what others are experiencing. This has characterized the majority of my life.

Today, I look back with gratitude at every experience I have had. I see the Divine Hand at work in my life, at times leading me and at other times carrying me. I, in gratitude, also see the people that have befriended me and walked with me, in good times and bad, along my journey. And I wake up every day with a prayer that I might honor God, love others, and be the man I have been formed to be, to reflect the Good that has been shown to me.