| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Growing up I was put in Tae Kwon Do. One of the earliest memories that I have is when I was no more than six, after performing my kata (which is a sequence of movements done in a specific order), I got first place. Then working up to our sparring section of the competition. My second match there stood a towering guy feeling as though he was twice as tall as me. First kick of the match I was spun backward and landed on my knee. Injured I still put up my guard and kept going. I didn't win that match, but I didn't give up and kept coming back to meet people like that sometimes in the ring. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I have always told people that I'm my father's son. I have always wondered if it was nature or nurture that makes me think so much like him. We have a likeness in thought and curiosity. We both have a special awareness and intelligence that while both growing up set us apart from our peers. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I think honesty and being trustworthy are important tools in building lasting relationships. Without a proper footing, without knowing where someone's loyalties lie, these people may take advantage or not know the total situation. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | The period of my life when I had long hair, everywhere that I would go, some people from afar would confuse me with a girl because my hair was so thick and wavy. It became a running joke as to why I had to grow a beard to compensate. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I've always had a fascination with the ruins in South America, as well as other ancient civilizations throughout the world. I would love to make a trip to see the growth, change, and dispersal of information and building practices over time. And document what sets us apart and what is innate to the human condition and experience. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would like to give them the ability to think for themselves and have the tools to navigate the world that they are faced with. Finding some happiness through achieving set goals and overcoming struggles. |
