-Once, when I was a kid at summer camp, I waited in line to climb a rickety wooden ladder onto a small platform off of which kids jumped into the murky lake the camp was built on. I got to the top and panicked. “I have to go back,” I told the counselor, the hot sun glinting in our eyes. There were campers lined up on the ladder and more on the ground, waiting their turn. The lifeguard was probably all of nineteen, but he was savvy. “Just go,” he said. “If you jump, you’ll be back up here three times today.” No, I said. I couldn’t do it, had to go back. “Okay,” he said. “Then you can’t have lunch.” I jumped. I got back in line three times. He never said I told you so.
-My band used to go swimming with a small group of friends at the Dalton town reservoir after gigs. It was outrageously fun. We scaled the pump house, eighteen feet off the water, jumped off and crashed around in the dark until early morning hours. Again and again, we jumped. Thank God no one ever fell off the other side of that little cement shed; it was a drop of about eighty feet onto rock and cement. Once I’d gotten enough of the raucous craziness I used to let myself float away from the others out to the center of the channel, satisfied and elated from a long night of playing music, the cries and splashes muffled, my whole world filtered through the in utero sound of gently splashing liquid.
-When I was four my friend and I used to color in just the pirates in our Peter Pan coloring books. Then our moms would have to buy us more coloring books.
-When I’m inspired on a song or story idea, I can get a little intense. If I leave the room for water or food, I probably look like a total madman. However, inspiration is the most ephemeral human emotion there is. A window opens up, the angels smile and offer you an idea, and you have to get it down as quickly as you can or it will fly through you like a genie looking for another host.
-I am a loyal friend. For life. I might not always take you up on your offer to meet for coffee, but if you need me, I will be there.
-For some reason, I’m quite sure the girl I will marry is a Pisces. That or she works with dolphins, or was a mermaid in a past life, or her dad runs a boat rental place… something like this!
-I like the way women talk when they’re from the South. Savannah, Georgia, for example, with a Weeping Willow tree in her backyard.
-I dedicated eight years of my life to teaching special needs students how to play music.
-One time when I was still just a kid, a friend of my sister’s had an exchange student sleep over at our house. I came home full of energy after a night of playing music and was intentionally loud, and poured a bowl of water under her door. I truly didn’t mean to upset this person; I was just in a raucous, playful mood. She seemed fine the next morning but I feel terrible about this, send her love and well wishes, and I hope one day I can meet her again and make up for it.
-I have scars on my face from a childhood dog attack. They show up under fluorescent lights, and I’m self-conscious about them. Predictably, I’m not crazy about these lights.
-I would like to do my small part to help heal the world as much as possible in the time I have left, put the pedal to the floor until something beautiful pours in and we transform the fear based consciousness of competition, war and exploitation to one of love, compassion and creativity. I truly just want to be a spark that brings people back into their own creativity, inspiration and self-respect. I don’t want to carve my name in the wall of culture; I want to tear it down, help dissolve social systems that make people dumb and compliant, let the rain come and watch beautiful new life grow in its place.
-I do yoga, exercise, meditate, drink green smoothies, lots of living spring water, and snack on superfoods daily. I do these things because they make me feel good, and I have energy all day long. Life is much better this way, believe me!
-A blind girl once told me I was beautiful. I thought that was a nice compliment.
-If I met St. Peter at the gates, the thing I would like for him to do most would be to point back the way I came and say, “Go on, kid. Jump back in.” Because I love it here. I know for certain that Earth is Paradise. We just need to evolve our consciousness, that’s all. Why would we need to ascend on a physical level? I suspect this was invented by people who are so unhappy with the life they’re living and so unwilling to take responsibility for it they believe heaven must be “up there” somewhere, far away from the mess they’ve made on this planet. What could be better than a blissful, ecstatic life on Earth, in the forest or by the ocean with the ones you love? I believe we ascend in our consciousness, through the body, here and now.
-I hope I get to play music for you.
-When things are at their best, I laugh all day. The whole world is hilarious to me. I laugh at myself most of all, and that’s how I know when things are good.
-I recently held a nine day old puma kitten, and helped feed and care for her at my favorite wildlife sanctuary. I also got to visit a full grown, one hundred and eighty pound female cougar. I walked into her cage slowly, my hand out, my heart beating fast. She purred like she had a motor in her chest, and rubbed her soft gray head against my hand.
-The saddest day of my life was when I put my childhood dog to sleep. She died in my arms. It still hurts.
-I believe in you.
-I will never give up.