Welcome to my page. My goal here is to share a bit about me, what I do, what my passions are, and where I'm going with my goals and plans. I invite you to contact me via one the links on my many websites if you have questions on any of these things. I would love to help you get healthier and wealthier and live a life that you want to live!
My son Duncan has Autism. A lot of my personal life is now used to promote causes that research that condition, make the lives of those with autism and their families easier and better, and to bring joy to autistic kids like Duncan. To that end, I'm a supporter of Autism Speaks, a charity that focuses on autism awareness and research.
A lot of people get upset with me over this - they say that Autism Speaks doesn't speak FOR autistic people because they don't have representation by them on their board or whatever, and that autism isn't a disease. I partially agree with them.
Autism is not a disease. But it is a condition that makes it harder for many people to live in this world we've created. And not everyone has the same symptoms for their autism. My son, for example, though he's very smart and can handle most things thrown at him, isn't currently capable of handing his own life at the level of a typical 12-year-old. I'm there to help him, of course, as are the rest of his family, friends, and teachers/therapists at his school. But if he's out among people who don't know him, he can't even talk to them properly to explain what problems he might be having.
So I will continue to support Autism Speaks and the work they do to STOP autism.
A big passion of mine is obstacle racing - I've run races like Spartan Race, Mud Ninja, Savage Race, Warrior Dash, The Indian Mud Run, and the now-defunct Ruckus and Hell Run over the past couple of years and have grown to absolutely love them. I'm training for my first Tough Mudder right now, and I'm looking forward to it immensely. It's going to be a lot of work, but I love the challenge and the camaraderie of these races and can't wait to get my orange headband!
I've been chronicling my OCR fun on my new website, Mudlife Crisis, where I talk about health and obstacle course racing for folks who are considered "middle aged." I'm nearly 50 myself and I am not slowing down one iota. I will continue to do what I love for a long time because I'm learning to take care of myself properly and to shuck aside what modern living and civilization try to do to us.
I'd been bike commuting on and off as my main form of transportation since November of 2006, and writing my blog Carless Columbus since February of 2006. I'm a former Cycling Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists as well (still qualified but no longer a member of the league).
I still don't own my own car, and I get around via bus and car2go, an excellent car-sharing service we have here in Columbus and many other cities around the world. Check it out!
I blog there less often than I used to, but I still keep up with the state of things bikey in Columbus and enjoy posting new stuff I've discovered there, so check it out!
A lot of people get upset with me over this - they say that Autism Speaks doesn't speak FOR autistic people because they don't have representation by them on their board or whatever, and that autism isn't a disease. I partially agree with them.
Autism is not a disease. But it is a condition that makes it harder for many people to live in this world we've created. And not everyone has the same symptoms for their autism. My son, for example, though he's very smart and can handle most things thrown at him, isn't currently capable of handing his own life at the level of a typical 12-year-old. I'm there to help him, of course, as are the rest of his family, friends, and teachers/therapists at his school. But if he's out among people who don't know him, he can't even talk to them properly to explain what problems he might be having.
So I will continue to support Autism Speaks and the work they do to STOP autism.
I've been chronicling my OCR fun on my new website, Mudlife Crisis, where I talk about health and obstacle course racing for folks who are considered "middle aged." I'm nearly 50 myself and I am not slowing down one iota. I will continue to do what I love for a long time because I'm learning to take care of myself properly and to shuck aside what modern living and civilization try to do to us.
I still don't own my own car, and I get around via bus and car2go, an excellent car-sharing service we have here in Columbus and many other cities around the world. Check it out!
I blog there less often than I used to, but I still keep up with the state of things bikey in Columbus and enjoy posting new stuff I've discovered there, so check it out!