Born in the year of the Tiger in the country on a small farm among the rolling countryside of north central Ohio where I was raised Catholic. As a child I played in the creeks and climbed the trees, chased butterflies through the fields, caught lighting bugs on warm summer nights and counted the stars. This gave me my love of nature. Thought of becoming a Catholic priest in grade school and again in my mid thirties. There was always a spiritual awareness from a young age. I left the Catholic church in my mid teens and wandered during the late 196o's and early 70's, my "hippie years". In my twenties I worked at a head shop selling water beds and bongs. In my spare time I studied Native American religions and Eastern Philosophy including Taoism and Buddhism and more recently became a Lay Ordained Zen Buddhist in 2006. My Dharma name is,"Doryu" = "Dragon", or "Way of the Dragon". I was married for three years back in the 80's but it didn't work out. Marriage was never for me but I do miss having a special woman in my life. I became Catholic again at this time and was interested in the Catholic Worker Movement and inspired by people like Dorthy Day, Thomas Merton and Daniel Berrigan. My ex wife and I wanted to become Third Order Franciscans, a Franciscan order for lay people. I worked in two major factories here that are now gone and been a part of two national labor unions. I never liked factory life and am glad that part of my life is over.
The town I grew up in is where they shot the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". The band "Godsmack" made a music video in the same location.
In 1991 I retired due to my health and lead a peaceful life now running a local zendo. I like Japanese culture and hope to go to Japan some day. I love the Japanese tea ceremony and have my own tea bowel and tea instrument's but have only seen the ceremony done once in person. I like haiku poetry and bonsai plants. I love music and all types of instruments like guitar, sitar, flute and hand drums. I played in some garage bands, carried band equipment and played on stage once when I was younger. I'm also a movie buff and like to collect movies. They are "the" great American art form.
I also collected underground comics in the early 70's of artists like Robert Crumb. Until recently I wrote the newsletter for the local Zen group and still maintain the web site (below). I hope some day to have my own permanent Zendo here for MZS and a good group of practicing Zen Buddhists to share it with.
