Here are just a few of the words that could be strung together to describe me, relatively speaking:
A Free Man/Thinker
A Biker
A Mystic
A Radical Faerie
A Writer
A Teacher
A Student of Life
A Trixster
A Nonconformist
A Son
A Brother
A Lover
A Lover
An Uncle
A Husband
A Revolutionary
A Revolutionary
I grew up in Kentucky, escaped from Kentucky shortly after high school graduation and studied for the Roman Catholic priesthood directly thereafter. I did that gig for several years. Left before ordination. Moved to Chicago. Lived there briefly. My time in Chicago however, was very spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally significant. I then moved back to Kentucky, earned a masters degree in clinical psychology, and practiced there clinically for about 10 years. Additionally, I have bachelor degrees in sociology and cross cultural studies.
I then eventually moved to San Francisco in 1999, though mostly lived in Oakland and Berkeley during the thirteen or so years I live in The Bay Area. I became very disillusioned with "the gay community" as it is generally expressed by the predominantly white, gay, male environment that is found in San Francisco and some surrounding areas and eventually escaped there as well but with a new found romantic partner. We are still together. His name is John. He is of Sicilian and Latin heritage. He is a kind and gentle man. We each come from loud, passionate and emotionally expressive cultures.
I then eventually moved to San Francisco in 1999, though mostly lived in Oakland and Berkeley during the thirteen or so years I live in The Bay Area. I became very disillusioned with "the gay community" as it is generally expressed by the predominantly white, gay, male environment that is found in San Francisco and some surrounding areas and eventually escaped there as well but with a new found romantic partner. We are still together. His name is John. He is of Sicilian and Latin heritage. He is a kind and gentle man. We each come from loud, passionate and emotionally expressive cultures.
I Found myself going from the frying pan to the fire so to speak by moving to the state of Arizona exactly 1 week before Arizona SB 1070 was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer. At least I was able to take solace in the fact that I lived in one of the more progressive pockets in the state--Tucson. Phoenix, for example, would never have been an option.
I have mostly, made peace with my relationship with San Francisco and its gay, male population. And I do however, like San Francisco itself, when the dominant, self absorbed and oppressive mainstream gay white male elements of the city and the extreme money worshiping consciousness of The City By the Bay are taken out of the equation. My time in The San Francisco Bay Area has also revealed just how pervasive racism, misogyny, bi-erasure and trans hatred are in the gay white male parts of the LGBT communities, particularly elements of that community in San Francisco proper. That saddens me. I am also glad I have this insight. It is useful.
I use to like and appreciate Oakland. By the time I left for good however, in 2015, I had grown weary of many of the expressions of progressive social justice activism in Oakland as well as a few other aspects of "Oakland life."
I currently, as of February 2015 live in the Puget Sound region of Northwestern Washington State.
I have mostly, made peace with my relationship with San Francisco and its gay, male population. And I do however, like San Francisco itself, when the dominant, self absorbed and oppressive mainstream gay white male elements of the city and the extreme money worshiping consciousness of The City By the Bay are taken out of the equation. My time in The San Francisco Bay Area has also revealed just how pervasive racism, misogyny, bi-erasure and trans hatred are in the gay white male parts of the LGBT communities, particularly elements of that community in San Francisco proper. That saddens me. I am also glad I have this insight. It is useful.
I use to like and appreciate Oakland. By the time I left for good however, in 2015, I had grown weary of many of the expressions of progressive social justice activism in Oakland as well as a few other aspects of "Oakland life."
I currently, as of February 2015 live in the Puget Sound region of Northwestern Washington State.
Here is the religious order I was a member of when I studied for The Roman Catholic priesthood.
Breathe in, breathe out...
When people ask me today what I "do for a living," my first response typically is now that I am a spiritual teacher. If they persist I may also say I am a teacher of conscious living, sacred activist, revolutionary activist, community elder and philosopher. I continue to be a community teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Downtown Oakland. I have been a student of Buddhism, primarily Zen Buddhism for more than 25 years.I am also a long time student of Sufism, Christian mysticism, etc. In addition to being a Zen Buddhist. I am also a Christian/Episcopalian.
Spiritually, I primarily describe myself as being a Christo-Buddhist man. Satyagraha, however, is also an important element of my spiritual life, as are some other things as well.
Spiritually, I primarily describe myself as being a Christo-Buddhist man. Satyagraha, however, is also an important element of my spiritual life, as are some other things as well.
In my teaching work and in my daily life I am not necessarily formally bound to or by any specific spiritual or religious teachings, rituals nor dogma. My spiritual teaching work attempts to reflect the universal wisdom that is found in and underneath most if not all of the major religious and spiritual traditions when dogma, ego, ritual, and certain cultural elements are stripped away. I would say my teaching also strongly reflects certain expressions of wisdom that are found in secular life as well.
As for my ethnicity and sexual orientation-- I am Black. I also have some European ancestry. I also identify as same gender loving. I do not consider myself to be an expression of the traditional gender binary. I consider myself to be an elder in the African American, same gender loving community. I also have some affinity for Radical Faerie consciousness, as I understand it. I do consider myself to be a radical faerie. For information about the Radical Faeries, go here.
I do not have much affinity for what I view and experience as the white, male dominated, mainstream, LGBT community in the USA. I do not resonate much with what seems to be the primary set of values I see there. I receive more solace, where my sexual orientation is concerned, from other communities of same gender loving, African Descended and people of color, men, women and others who do not subscribe to the male/female binary and conventional understandings of gender expression. Ultimately I don't know if there is any overarching ethnic, gender based, or orientation based community I feel completely comfortable in.
I do not have much affinity for what I view and experience as the white, male dominated, mainstream, LGBT community in the USA. I do not resonate much with what seems to be the primary set of values I see there. I receive more solace, where my sexual orientation is concerned, from other communities of same gender loving, African Descended and people of color, men, women and others who do not subscribe to the male/female binary and conventional understandings of gender expression. Ultimately I don't know if there is any overarching ethnic, gender based, or orientation based community I feel completely comfortable in.
Both my ethnicity and sexual orientation, while ultimately of relatively limited import in the grand scheme of things, have proven to be extremely important and valuable, all things considered, in codifying many of the insights and awarenesses I have gained in this life and in my day to day living.
I am a practitioner of sacred activism. I am also a sacred activist. I am a Reiki Master. I lead Sacred Masculine intensives and occasionally initiate men into manhood through a program I have created.
As stated previously, I have a professional background in clinical psychology and had a successful clinical private practice for eight years. I have also worked in the areas of psycho-social research at the university level and clinical program management and program development in the non-profit sector for an additional 10 years.
I have now retired from my psychotherapeutic, university, and social science non-profit careers where I was working for someone else. I am now a spiritual teacher full-time.
Another way to understand both the work I currently do in the world, including my writing, and what may be described as my overarching external purpose in the world is to look at all of that through the prism of healing. I believe my entire outer life can be viewed through that prism when all else is said and done.
So my life can be easily viewed through the prism of healing, whatever that means.
Additionally, I have recently completed the manuscript for an autobiographical book. More on this as news warrants. One is largely autobiographical in nature.
Mostly however, I am that I am. Everything else is commentary. I do however, much appreciate good, interesting commentary, which my life provides me with in more than ample supply.
