Bio

The oceans are in trouble.  My airplane crash opened me up to do something about it and to so many other things.

I was sitting at my computer one night, watching the Ted.com talk by Sylvia Earle about saving our oceans. If you have never heard of Sylvia Earle – do yourself a favor and after you read this, and learn about “her deepness”.  You can start by watching her 15 minute video clip here.

I guarantee inspiration.  It began this phase of my journey, this website, the forming of a new business with a desire to help the oceans in my own way.

I don’t claim to be the best photographer or videographer around.  I am still learning so much and thankful for all the kind people who have helped me and continue to help me learn this craft and more.  But Sylvia Earle’s message was clear.  We all need to do whatever we can to help our oceans – they are in trouble.  I know this is true from the dying and dead coral reefs I see on my trips – such as the one coral head in Bonaire where I shot a beautiful mantis shrimp and then went back one year later to find that coral head and all of them around it dead.  I know from seeing fewer and fewer fish when diving.  Or seeing the amount of plastic and other pollution in the oceans everywhere I go. I see a world of people that in many ways is destroying something I love dearly and something I want my granddaughters to be able to see.

So the message is clear to me.  I don’t have a background in oceanography.  I am not a marine biologist or well-known author or filmmaker.  I am not a scientist or a politician or high profile in any sense of the word.  I am simply a man who somehow got a second chance and understands that each of us can make a difference.  I also realize that every day is a blessing and we should take the risk to follow our dreams.  My job to take whatever skills I have and encourage others and help our oceans.

Bare with me if you would, this may ramble for a bit but there is a message here.

As a kid, I would lie awake at night looking out my window where the railroad trains would run out of my small Nebraska town.  I could see the outlines of people in the windows of those trains, and I spent hours thinking about where all those people were going . . . and wondering, will I be able to go to far off places too?  What will I be when I grow up?  Will I travel?  Will I be successful?  Will I find out what I was supposed to do? Will I fall in love?  Will I be happy?  Will I make a difference in the world?

That was long ago and you know what.  I have been blessed in my lifetime to travel to many places, marveling at the beauty of this magnificent planet we call home.  I have been successful, building a medical distribution business from the ground up into an extremely successful enterprise that benefits others and allows me to do the things I love.  I have made a difference in many peoples lives.  My sons, my employees, my friends, my partners in life and business and maybe even people I don’t know.  I am happy.  Not all the time.  There have been several tragedies in my life and many times of uncertainty, fear, loss and sadness but my heart is happy most days and I try to show that to people in kind deeds and words.   I have fallen in love and had wonderful women in my life who have helped me grow, taught me more than I am sure I have taught them, shared in intimacy and vulnerability and loved me more than I probably deserve.  And I found out what I was supposed to do along the way, and at this point in my life I am supposed to do three things.

1. Help the oceans by writing, taking photos, making films and speaking out.

2.  Assist others who are on this same journey of helping the oceans in a collaborative, non-competitive manner.

3. Share myself with people in an effort to inspire them to live their dreams, whatever they may be.

When I was a kid I was the one who found the tallest buildings in town and would jump from one to another.  Or hop the freight trains as they barreled out of town, waiting till they gained enough speed I couldn’t get off any other way than jumping and rolling on the ground.  Or playing games where my friends and I would spend the entire day not touching the ground – going from fence to tree to building in an effort to be free of terra firma.  I began flying airplanes when I was 15 years old and the freedom of the air brought out the adventurer in me.

I wasn’t the best student or the worst one either – just kind of middle of the road.  I didn’t graduate college, worked my way up in business with a penchant for finding opportunities and having a bit of a gift of inspiring people and being a decent salesman.  I managed airplane businesses and sold airplane products around the country and the world.  I was able to fly high performance single engine airplanes and meet many wonderful people in the aviation business. But after many years of traveling and being a “road warrior”, I had had enough and called it quits without another job or any backup plan.  I needed to be home for my sons and wife.  That leap of faith led me to form a business with my two best friends.  Lots of people warned against it.  Partnerships ruin friends or friendships ruin business.  But it was quite the opposite. I found meaning in starting a business my friends and growing it into something of worth that helps others.  We put everything we had into it.  We didn’t draw a paycheck for two years, going into serious debt along the way.  It was scary but it was ours and we built this business from the ground up based on the type of moral principals we all shared.  Things you learn as kids.  Be nice to one another, treat people like you want to be treated, be honest, take care of people and help them when they ask for it.  You know – doing the right thing.

Whenever we had a meeting about anything of substance, it didn’t last more than 5 minutes.  One of us would simply ask the question – “What is the right thing to do”?  It made the answer obvious.  It still works in my life today.

We all had sons and wanted to be active in their daily lives — be home for them and interact with them daily.  It made decisions easy.  If it meant we would be available for them more, we did it.  If it meant we would see them less, we didn’t do it.  We could have made more money staying open later but that would have meant we didn’t see our sons as much.  Case closed – no more conversation needed – no extended hours.   We had all been in the “corporate” world and had been asked to do things we didn’t believe were right morally.  Our business would not do immoral things for money – that was decided.  Early on that was a hard one.  We had opportunities to do things that bordered on unethical.  Again, the 5-minute meeting and “what is the right thing to do”?

We tried to always answer our own phones even when the company became quite large – we wanted to KNOW our customers.  We hired good people who were smart and talented and gave them a structure and environment where they could grow, have fun and be available for their families.  We sold that business a few years ago and still the best thing about it was working with my friends every day.  It is what was best when we were struggling at first or successful later on – it was the bond we formed that was the best.  It was working with these good men who shared a similar philosophy that brought out the goodness in all of us. We didn’t have plans to get rich but instead simply wanted to make a living, feed our families, be with our sons and build a successful business while helping others. It turned out, we did all of those things and in the end, financial success came as well.  But that was not the goal.  That was a byproduct.

I like to fly airplanes, sail boats, hit the gym and ride my bicycle.  I like to spend time with my sons, my granddaughters and my friends – old and new.  I’ve been known to spin a good story, paint on a canvas badly but get lost in the act, sip coffee daily and laugh at myself frequently.  But most of all I love to be underwater with my camera.  I have been a scuba diver for 12 years.  Somewhere along the line I picked up a camera, loaded the film (yeah film) incorrectly, took not so good photos, flooded it, bought another one, etc, etc, etc.  But I kept after it and my photos improved a bit with time and I am still keeping after it, trying to learn and improve.  I love the ocean and I am in love with the ocean.  I love the sway that carries you back and forth, always back and forth.  I get excited when I hear the waves breaking or smell the salt in the air.  My heart races when I drop down and see all the incredible beauty of this world that is so alien to us humans but so magical.  I jump out of bed every morning when diving, not wanting to waste time inside or doing anything that isn’t related to being around or under the waves.

There is something very spiritual about the ocean for me.  I don’t have to explain it, discuss it or understand it.  It just is and I can see it and feel it and smell it.  The rhythm of the ocean brings peace to my heart and moves me in a way few other things do.  It makes me want to be a better person, to be more connected to nature, to help rather than harm.  It takes me to the now.  I don’t worry about my day, or the news, or what I will do tonight.  I am present when I am in the ocean.  Right here, right now.  Do you know what I mean?  It just is.

I am at my best when I am around or under the oceans waves.

I have been flying airplanes since I was 15 years old.  (That was a while ago).   Three years ago I was flying my Beech Bonanza single engine airplane one day and the engine quit suddenly on takeoff – at 500 ft. in the air.  I had no runway left beneath me, still had my gear down and let me tell you that when the engine quits on takeoff, things begin to happen very, very quickly.  The airplane immediately stalled and tried to spin me into the ground and because of some training I received somewhere along the line and a certain amount of luck, I was able to get the wings upright, and do the only thing I could to get airspeed back and stop the spin – I pushed the nose of the airplane down.  I drove the airplane into the ground, flaring her at the last minute so the impact sent the left gear up through the wing, sheared the nose strut off and buckled the right main gear, taking the fuselage to the ground, tearing the wings back toward the rear of the airplane ripping and twisting metal everywhere.

My dream airplane was totaled.

I climbed out of the cockpit and walked away from that wreck, the only physical damage was a scratch on my arm.  But my entire world changed very, very dramatically that day and continues to change daily.  The world became surreal and stayed that way for quite a while as I tried to sort myself out.  I re-evaluated EVERYTHING.  I made a lot of changes.

Almost dying will do that to you.

Something happened that day, something spiritual and transformational.  I couldn’t figure it out for quite a while.  The world looked different when I climbed out of that cockpit.  The things you would think would have been important weren’t and small things that you might think were inconsequential were extremely important to me.  The sky and trees and smells were different than before.  I had nightmares.  I was mad at the universe because I didn’t understand why I was alive and what was the message from this near death experience.  I found myself walking away from conversations with people.  Acting strange – at least strange to those around me – I thought it quite normal.   My interest in my life before the crash was non-existent.   My marriage took a huge hit and never recovered.  I took a 30-day road trip – just my bicycle and me.  Looking for some answers.  And I found some along a whitewater stream in Oregon.  I didn’t know I found them while I was there.  It wasn’t until later when I asked myself what exactly I had discovered? What was the revelation?  What was the big meaning to all of this?

It was something like this — I was going to choose to live a life of meaning, try to help people, be kind, and follow my heart not my head toward happiness.

I could go on about all the changes that have taken place since the crash.  I have had my heart broken but it’s mending.  I have lost friends and made new ones.  I have followed my dream and passion of diving around the world, riding my bikes on the high mountains of France, being a better listener, opening myself to new people, places and adventures.  I am blessed to have had the crash and blessed with how many people have responded with kindness whenever I have reached out to them.  I am able to confront my fears and realize how important honesty, vulnerability and intimacy have become in my relationships. People are important – relationships are important – helping is important.  Life is precious now – today – this minute and I feel compelled to follow my dreams and encourage others to do the same.

So that is a bit about how I got here.  So what now?

I am committed to doing what I can to help the oceans and to also help people realize they don’t have to survive a plane wreck to live in the moment, to make a difference, to follow their dreams.  I will travel, seek adventure and beauty and continue to learn and improve the art of photography, writing, and filmmaking that fascinate me.  And I will use whatever skills I possess to carry the word through imagery and writing and speaking, to find my path to help our oceans and to help each other.  I will assist others whenever I can to do the same, in a non-competitive collaborative way.  In doing so I hope to make people aware of the wonders that are here on our planet, unseen by most, precious to us all, unbelievable in diversity and fragile in their nature.  And to also make my circle of contacts realize there is hope, it isn’t too late for each of us to make a difference.

But, the oceans need our help now, today, this minute.  We can’t leave this one alone.  We can’t become apathetic about the blue.  The consequences of ignoring it and not doing our part, one person at a time, will be dramatic and possibly irreversible.

We protect what we love.

I hope my photos, films, writing and discussions can give voice to the beauty and the fragility of the oceans. I hope that maybe I can reach you and help you love the oceans and decide to make a difference.  I hope I can encourage you to take the risk to reach for your dreams, whatever they may be.  If I can succeed at either of these just a bit, I will have made that difference I thought about while I watched the trains gain speed out of my hometown so long ago.