What would the title of your autobiography be and why?
The Lamb That Roared: How Collaborating with the Master Storyteller Expanded My Intelligence, Deepened My Faith and Taught Me How to be Ambitious by Helping Others
Wow. That’s a mouthful. Am I really that pretentious? One answer would be, ‘well, it’s not pretentious if it’s true.’ Which sounds even more pretentious. The truth is, I’m actually not that pretentious. It’s just hard to summarize 40 years of life in a few words of a title. The fact is, while I’ve always been a writer, in some form or fashion, I’ve also been defined by so many other things. So let’s break it down, shall we?
“Expanded my intelligence”
I was pretty much a straight A student until I got to college. I tested at the sixth grade reading level in the first grade and in the sixth grade, I sat for the SAT’s as part of a pilot program. I don’t recall the exact scores, but it was 600+ on both parts, slightly higher for the Reading. Not a big surprise. I am an avid reader. Even now as I type this in my apartment, I am surrounded by books, non-fiction as well as fiction, most of which I’ve read, some multiple times. Where others from my generation engrossed themselves in video games, I prefer reading, both for education and enjoyment.
“Deepened my faith”
About one-third of my collection of books could be classified as ‘religious.’ That’s hard to picture without seeing the extent of my collection, so to help clarify, I own more books about God, Theology, Christianity and Christian life than most pastors I know. In addition to exploring the Christian faith in which I was raised, I have also studied other faiths, as well as science and technology. And while that study has led some to abandon their parent’s beliefs, I, like several of my heroes: Lewis, Tolkien, L’Engle & Chesterton (all storytellers themselves), found a stronger commitment and profounder depths to plumb.
“Taught me how to be ambitious by helping others”
There’s a quote by Zig Ziglar I love: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” In whatever position I have held, personal or professional, I am dedicated to helping others succeed. As a cop, a news producer, an actor, a train conductor, an AV specialist or any of the other myriad positions I’ve held, I’ve helped others. And the key is not to expect any benefit other than that of helping others, but I’ve found that God – or the universe, if you prefer – tends to reward those efforts.
“Collaborating with the Master Storyteller”
I am unapologetically a follower of Christ, which for me means I am committed using the gifts I’ve been given for excellence. My hope and dream is to make the world a better place through my writing, regardless of what or even if you believe.