About Me
And My Special Teachers
At Surface Level
On the surface, I am an 80-year-old retired attorney, living in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. I was raised in the Midwest and spent most of my adult life in Madison, Wisconsin. That’s where I met my wonderful wife, Audrey, and we’ve been happily married for 58 years. We have two wonderful children, living nearby, and four amazing grandsons who light up our lives.
I began my academic journey with a degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering after studying mathematics and physics. I worked as a systems analyst for IBM before transitioning to law. I earned my law degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and specialized my law practice in Trust and Estate law with a law firm I deeply respected.
Outside of work and family, I have found fulfillment in photography and philosophy—particularly the ancient Greek principle Know Thyself. My technical education didn’t include art or philosophy, but these disciplines were brought to life for me through my wife, wise teachers, and dear friends. I am forever grateful for their support and guidance.
Life has not been without its challenges. In 1995, I experienced kidney failure due to a genetic condition. My dear sister, Ellen, donated one of her kidneys to me, and after 29 years, it continues to function. I am alive today because of that gift, the dedicated nursing care from my wife and sister, the care and love of my son and daughter, and the skilled doctors and nurses who have treated me over the years.
At Psychological Level
In 1980, I sought help for depression, which led me to a psychologist who has become a dear friend, Dr. Allyn Roberts. His guidance set me on the path of self-inquiry—understanding the mind’s workings and following the path of Know Thyself.
Dr. Carl Jung’s insights have played a significant role in this journey, particularly his idea that our unconscious mind shapes much of our conscious experience. Integrating this unconscious part, especially the shadow—the part of ourselves we fear, has been an ongoing focus.
My wife and I have visited Holocaust sites in Europe and the Middle East and the atomic bomb city of Hiroshima, reflecting on the capacity of incredible human cruelty. These visits led us to ask ourselves: “How would we have acted under the orders of a military officer commanding us to commit an atrocity?” Understanding the potential darkness within ourselves is crucial to developing love and compassion for all others.
At Moral Level
At the moral level, I have directly experienced the interconnectedness of life, particularly through work with Combat Blindness International (CBI), an organization I provided legal help to get organized. CBI’s mission is to cure preventable blindness in developing countries, particularly by treating cataracts in India and Africa for no cost to the patient and a $25 cost/patient to CBI.
On three occasions, my wife and I have visited rural eye camps and hospitals in India, working alongside people from the local communities. These experiences revealed the universal desires and dreams we all share, transcending all cultural differences.
At Spiritual Level
For many years, I served on the Board of Directors for Agrace HospiceCare, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin. During this time, the director of Agrace asked if I would photograph patients nearing the end of their lives, a task I could only accept with my wife’s help. Together, we photographed nearly 30 patients and their families over three years, bearing witness to their journeys toward death.
These experiences profoundly deepened my understanding of impermanence, a concept central to Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that suffering arises from resisting impermanence; while accepting it allows us to live peacefully in the present moment. As he wisely said, “It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.”
My Special Teachers - With Gratitude
As we walk together on the journey of self-discovery, please know that none of the ideas presented here are original to me. These ideas have been shared with me by many special teachers, and I am deeply grateful for their love, guidance, and willingness to share their wisdom.
Some of my special teachers have been my family including my mother, my wife of almost 60 years, my loving children, my amazing grandchildren, and my very special sister who donated one of her kidneys to me 30 years ago.
My dear friends have also been special teachers to me, and some of my teachers have become dear friends.
It is impossible to express in words the depth of my Gratitude for the teachings, actions, and love that they have given to me over my lifetime.
The emotion of Gratitude is very special. It weaves itself through each of the four levels of‘self’, enriching our experience of life and deepening our understanding of who we are.
At the surface level, awe awakens our Gratitude for the beauty and wonder around us. At the psychological level, Gratitude helps us integrate our shadow, fostering wholeness and self-compassion. At the moral level, Gratitude reminds us of our connectedness,inspiring us to live ethically and with generosity. Finally, at the spiritual level, Gratitude for impermanence allows us to embrace life’s fleeting nature with grace and reverence.
Gratitude, therefore, is not a passive emotion but an active practice that shapes our experience across all dimensions of‘self’. By cultivating Gratitude, we open ourselves to a life of deeper meaning, connection, and fulfillment.
As the brilliant Irish poet, David Whyte, put it in his poem entitled Gratitude:
“Gratitude is not a passive response to something we have been given; gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us. Gratitude is not necessarily something that is shown after the event; it is the deep, a priori state of attention that shows we understand and are equal to the gifted nature of life”.
