I would say I'm more of a storyteller than a writer

I inherited this gift from my father and his father who told great stories too. Before there was radio especially people like my grandfather and father who could tell great stories of their adventures through life were always in demand. It's true sometimes they embellished their stories but this is part of the mark of a really good story teller.

In some ways when we watch movies or TV shows or Series online we are watching the storytellers of our earth tell good stories if we are pleased with the results. I think the whole point is to make life better by the stories you tell and to help heal mankind through your stories which also will help you as a writer or storyteller in your own lives and families too. Writing to inform and to heal I think are two of the best reasons to tell your stories.

For me, I have found often that I am a muse for other writers and storytellers simply because of my nature being what it naturally is.

I have always been inspired by the oceans and waves breaking and as a child often rode the waves in in southern California whenever I was allowed to by my parents. Back in the 1950s we rode canvas air mats into shore way before anyone invented Boogie Boards. Even surfboards in the 1950s were mostly made of wood as they slowly converted to fiberglass with wood stringers when I started surfing around 1962 when I was about 14 years of age. But, by 1969 I had moved on when a friend who eventually went to the Viet Nam War in the Air Force to work on Jet engines in our planes there after he was injured by someone running him over with their skeg (fin) from their surfboard. I switched more to skiing and mountain climbing after that because he had been injured and then had to go to Viet Nam for several years. So, I started mountain climbing more starting with Half Dome up the wire and then Mt. Shasta in 1970 to the top with my mountain climbing friends and rock climbing in Yosemite Valley even when it was snowing outside and at Taquitz rock in Idylwild, above Palm Springs in California. Then after almost dying trying to climb San Gorgonio in a snow storm (we were all young and foolish once) when I was around 21, trying to be a little safer after that in my adventures.

But, through it all I have always been a storyteller maybe so I could share my adventures too with other people and inspire them to laugh and enjoy their adventures too, especially if their lives were hard like mine was at different times along the way.

I would say the hardest years for me to stay alive were in my early 20s and my 40s. There is something about your 40s where you have to start to prepare for death that I found very difficult in that transition. But, I have been at peace and fairly happy since around 50 when I almost died for about 8 months time.

Though this might seem paradoxical I have been grateful for each and every moment I have left here on earth and gratitude is the motor of life.

By God's Grace