Bio
My short bio is that I live in Lansing, Michigan. My lovely wife, Dana, and I have been married since August, 2006. We’re best friends and enjoy doing everything together. Camping, traveling, cooking and spending time with friends and family are just some of our hobbies. We have two cats, Pierre and Bowtie, that we like to spoil. We have also become really interested in road biking. Last summer our longest day-trip was 75 miles but this summer we’re going for a full century. (Update: I made it the full 100 miles but Dana could not join me because she is pregnant. Hooray!)
Making Things
I’m not sure why exactly but I have always been fascinated with how things are made and making things myself. The episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood where he visits the crayon factory stands out as one of my earliest memories – maybe that’s connected. When I was six or so I would horde away found bits of hardware (screws, hinges, etc.) with a plan in my mind for building a donut-making machine. A few years later when my family got our first (primitive) computer I had software called the Kids’ Newsroom. The user interface was a metaphor for all the operations found at a newspaper: Writers desks, drafting tables, printroom, etc. Inspired, I canvassed the neighborhood, pen and paper in hand, looking for “stories.” The inaugural, and sadly final, edition of this publication featured an interview with the elderly woman who lived two houses down. As it turns out it was a pretty boring neighborhood.
Now, twenty-some years later, I still consider making things one of my main endeavors. Brewing my own beer, making jam from fresh picked berries, writing code, drawing in Photoshop – I see them all as shared pathways in the brain. Making things requires learning from past experience and the ability to innovate on the fly; two things I’m pretty good at doing.
Going Places
Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. Whether I know the area well or have never set foot there before, I love being on the move. So far I’ve been lucky enough to see most of the Eastern and Midwestern United States, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Barcelona, Paris, Venice, and Rome. My dream itinerary also includes vacations to Costa Rica, Brazil, Eastern Europe, and back to Barcelona because it is such a laid back city full of good food and beautiful architecture. Despite the urge to be a world traveler, I love living in Michigan and don’t have much desire to move out of the mitten.
Understanding People
On the ACT college entrance exams I scored a perfect mark on the reading section. I’ve always liked to joke that it is the worst section to do well on, because, well, what kind of career does good reading comprehension prepare you for? But I think it’s more about understanding people than simply understanding words on a page. I grew up as the only child in a political family, so I was constantly getting dragged to really boring events where I was expected to be on my best behavior. As a result, I spent a lot of time watching people interact. I think this resulted in an especially keen empathy towards individuals and the ability to interpret the reasons behind actions. The amazing thing about people is that no matter how many you’ve met or seen, there’s always something else to surprise you.
I’ve come to realize that understanding people is an extremely valuable asset in life. It makes getting along easier; knowing when to admit that you’re wrong, navigating workplace politics, and living as free of prejudice and hostilities as possible. These, I believe, are keys to a happy and successful life.
