I had a pretty good life growing up. At least it looked that way from the outside.  My birth father and mother provided well financially, and I didn’t want for much.  I grew up privileged from many perspectives. What no one else knew (until much later in life) is that, as I grew up, I endured a lot of abuse of various kinds – from family and others – until I was in my late teens.

I was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and lived that way till I was 35 years old. I was a full-time minister, served at the World Headquarters for the JW Organization, was an “elder” in several congregations for over ten years. At 35, I came out as a gay man and my fellow “elders” said, “We believe you are a wicked man,” and they kicked me out (it’s called “disfellowshipping”).

The moment I got kicked out (February 1, 2007), I lost hundreds of my closest friends, my parents and two siblings and grandmother.  The spiritual abuse and trauma from that (and the years of indoctrination) was violent and anything but loving. This caused profound spiritual trauma.  I’m grateful to extended family – especially my Aunt Linda – for remaining a close and dear part of my blood-family.

Also, my ex-wife, who is pictured in one of the photographs above, was surprisingly supportive.  We had been married for 13 years.  She was devastated when I left, but was so kind to me.  She has one of the most pure, tender and caring hearts I have ever encountered. I still love her with all my heart.

Since all of that trauma, I’ve re-built my family – I use the word “framily” (friends + family).  I have friends all over the world that I love and care for, and who feel the same about me.  I’ve also re-built my connection and relationship to the Divine.

In 2019, after six years devoting my life to another spiritual (and business) community, I had to let it all go because my integrity wouldn’t allow me to support the horrific misalignment and dysfunction I witnessed behind the scenes, and more importantly the unethical business practices.  As I left, I was shunned, shamed, and banned from yet another community of people I considered family.  My contributions over that time were erased and in its place, libel and slander was spread about me.

This caused even more spiritual trauma, which I have worked hard to heal from.

Living in Chicago, I enjoy walking the city, exploring new areas, trying out new restaurants.  I live about 350 steps from an amazing beach right on Lake Michigan, which is my happy place.

Much of my non-work time is spent reading non-fiction books, doing artwork, photo/video editing, and spiritual practice. I also enjoy doing lots of introspection and exploring philosophy.

I’m an INFJ on the Myers-Briggs and a 2 on the Enneagram, and as I mentioned earlier, have ADD, complex-PTSD, am neurodivergent, a Highly Sensitive Person, on the autistic spectrum, and emotionally sensitive and intense.

As introverted as I am, one of the things I hold most precious is deep, intimately connected conversations with others – not surface talk (that’s exhausting to me) – but real, sincere, penetrative dialogue from the depth of our souls. Ahhhhhh.

And lastly, but not least, I want to introduce you to the new love of my life: Connick Alexander Spoon. He came into my life on November 27, 2015 and he’s 11 years old.  He was a rescue originally, and I adopted him from someone in Denver, Colorado.  He is a demure, quiet, playful and sweet little Italian Greyhound.  I couldn’t love him any more than I do.