I was born in Wichita, Kansas on September 11, 1961. I grew up in Derby, Kansas (a suburb of Wichita). I was raised by very devoutly religious Pentecostal parents. My family consisted of two older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister.

   My early childhood was spent living in my own little world. A world filled with Magic and Faeries. I was an extremely quiet and pensive boy. I can remember pestering my mom with "what if..." questions. The boundaries between "reality" and fantasy were virtually non-existent.

   My adolescence began as a most troubling time for me. My Junior High School experience was very traumatic because as a very shy, bookish type, I was the prime target for the school bullies. I was constantly mocked and ridiculed because I wore 'hand-me-down' clothes from my brothers and a cousin. They were ill-fitting and out of style when I would get them. My jeans were always four or five inches too short. The kids would call these 'high-water' jeans. They were a cruel bunch of kids. I was punched, pinched, tripped and kicked constantly. But this was nothing compared to the verbal abuse they heaped upon me. I am still healing from some of the cruel things said to me.

   Amidst this atmosphere of turmoil, I began first by questioning God as to why this was happening to me. What had I done to deserve such treatment? When no answer was forthcoming, I started to question my religious upbringing. Did God really exist? If so, did he truly care about the pain I felt? I even began to question man's traditional view of the Trinity. To me, it felt more natural for there to be a Father, Mother and Son. This was very upsetting to the traditional views of my parents.

   Eventually fundamentalist Christianity felt too constricting, so I continued my search for Truth through a myriad of other paths. I began to study meditation, Raja Yoga, Wicca and esoteric Christianity.

   Shortly after I graduated from High School, I moved away from home and into the next phase of my life. I forgot about my search for spiritual truth and became drunk with new found freedom. I could finally do what I wanted to do. I was no longer under my parents control.

   My military short hair was allowed to grow past my shoulders. I went to parties and stayed out late. I started to drink and was introduced to drugs. I began taking various hallucinogens regularly. This continued until about 1990. Fortunately for me, I didn't end up in jail or dead.