About Me – Introduction to ‘Aviators Journey from Hot Rods to God’

Why this, why now?

You might be one of the men reading this who struggle with similar problems as me. My forthcoming book, excerpts of which will be posted here regularly, contains my story along with the lessons I’ve learned over the years.

When I was growing up, I was pretty much a loner. As a result, I isolated myself from others and, in the process cut myself off from true friendships with lots of men and women.

My desire for wanting to share my story with you grows out of one of the most important events of my life; the weekend I went through the New Warrior Training Adventure, an adult men’s rite of passage, in August of 1992.

That weekend changed the way I saw myself as a man; it allowed me to purge the anger, the rage, and the shame of feeling like I never measured up to just about every man who I compared myself to.

Before that weekend, I was confused about my role as a man; my father was never capable of showing me how to be a man. He was incapable of expressing his feelings and his love and appreciation for me. I interpreted that as not feeling good enough for love. That led to my feelings of unworthiness.

The weekend, and the subsequent integration process helped me to accept that I was a talented, loving, loved, and capable man.

That experience also put me on track to finding my true mission in life; it showed me specifically what I was very good at and how I could use my talents to improve my life and begin to serve others. This knowledge would eventually lead to knowing that the path I was now on would insure that my legacy would finally be worth leaving.

Another result of that weekend was my pursuit of leadership in the New Warrior organization. After three years of apprenticeship, I was certified as a full leader of the New Warrior Training Adventure.

It was during my six years of work as a leader with the New Warrior organization that I learned through working with over two thousand men that even the most outwardly confident of men – the kind of men I often times try to compare myself to — harbor well guarded feelings of loneliness, insecurity, fear, shame, inadequacy, cowardice, and more. “Dark secrets” as I call them, or “Shadows” in psycho babble.

I now have a love and a passion for seeing men deal with our fears, drop our masks, and step fully into the lives that we’re meant to have.

I also realize the importance of having men in my life who I can be honest with, who I can trust, who will support me when I’m down and when I’m up and who are capable of seeing my gifts and knowing my “dark secrets.”

They also hold me accountable for my actions while continuing to love me and not abandon me when things get rough. If this sounds strange to most of you men reading this, it is; it’s rare but attainable in our society.

As a writer, I get great satisfaction from expressing myself through the written word. That might have something to do with the fact that I was never heard or asked for my opinion as a kid; my voice was stifled. My father’s philosophy was the old school “a kid should be seen and not heard”; unfortunately for me, his philosophy worked really well.

I discovered that when I wrote, I could express what was in my heart. To this day, I often write to express my prayers.

For the men who are reading this, I want you to know how close you are to experiencing the joy, the excitement, the true sense of adventure beyond the speed and excitement that we enjoy.

You can have a life, free of the shackles of fear and self-judgment, and still enjoy what it is we love to do. In fact you will enjoy it more because it’s the kind of freedom that will stay with you after you put the kickstand down or park the brakes.

The forthcoming excerpts from my book will help “open the eyes of your heart” so you can see how much more powerful and enjoyable your life can be without unconsciously fending off the love and support of others.