More on that later, 0

I simply don’t fit in most crowds.

I was raised in a Pentecostal family. I was taught how to speak in tongues and pray in the spirit and I actually led a little boy in the sinner’s prayer one time. (1st “More on that later.”) My family was actually pretty awesome most of the time. My dad was the most stalwart and loyal individual I ever met. I’m pretty sure I get my stubbornness from him. 😇 And he also taught me to never give up which is also why I don’t quit unless I am forced to do so.

Then my family went on a missions trip to the Philippines which was epic! We went to help local churches have more exciting music and I did a bunch of volunteer work along the way as well. (2nd More on that later.)

Then I went to eighth grade and high school at Lexington Academy in Farmers Branch, Texas. During that time I also went on two missions trips to help out communities who didn’t get everything that most people get in large cities. (3rd More on that later.)

Then I went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I helped out with local community outreach programs during my time there. (4th More on that later.) And it was in this time that I started learning about other viewpoints about life. This was the beginning of my shedding the old skin of religion.

Then I joined the Navy after 9/11 and did eight years, six months, and twenty-eight days of service, with four years, eleven months, and eighteen days of sea time. When our ship needed a search and rescue swimmer, I volunteered so I could help save lives. (5th More on that later.)

Then came back to Dallas to finish my music degree because that’s something I promised my dad I would do but he died of leukemia. (6th More on that later.)

Then I found my now ex-wife in the last semester of my college career and we fell in love. Then we got married. Then we made a baby. While she was recovering from giving birth, I changed my work schedule so that she wouldn’t lose any students because I’m kind of a big deal and can also teach piano lessons. (7th More on that later.)

Then I was a dad! (8th More on that later.)

Then I started audio engineering school at MediaTech Institute and did that for a year and a half. (9th More on that later.) I want to create teaching programs for those communities that don’t get access to other types of music education, and that’s something that every culture in the world can have, and I want to learn from them so that this community called Earth can exchange ideas and inspirations for future generations of our species.

Then I got my first corporate gig at EY. In my second year I was promoted but I never got to enjoy the fruits of my labor because the doctors found a golf ball sized tumor in my brain. When they were doing a biopsy on the mass they nicked a blood vessel causing a brain bleed which caused me to stroke out. (10th More on that later.)

Then my ex-wife divorced me because she thought I was going to die so she sued me and tried to get full custody of our daughter. (11th More on that later.)

Then I did six weeks of Proton Therapy at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and then six months of chemotherapy which caused all of my hair to fall out. (Which is actually kind of funny because I’ve been shaving my head since my junior year of college.) (12th More on that later.)

Then I learned how to drive again so I could be able to pick up my daughter from school since I always wanted to have a kid that I could pick up from school. (13th More on that later.)

Then I started volunteering with Team Rubicon and have done two deployments with them on Operation Amberjack after a hurricane destroyed that part of Florida. (14th More on that later.)

And now I am studying to become an EMT so that I can help people who need immediate medical assistance.

Anyone else catching a theme here? 🤔

And all of this experience just shows me that I have so much more to learn but it’s difficult to relate with others who are more concerned with the latest trend or gossip or reality TV or etc… there is life to be lived and everyone else on the planet doesn’t realize it. Quite frustrating. And that’s why…

I don’t fit.