1-- The Name is Eric. 44, never married, never close. Single by the Grace of God, and beginning to wish-- for quite a while now --that I had a partner, children, that I had the opportunity to share in another soul's journey. This state of singleness is where God, and a long string of personal choices, have led me. And I pray daily for change.

2-- I have held a myriad of jobs, in the last 27 years, all of them as diverse from the other as is possible. I have strung television cable in the rurals of Arkansas, Steered crew boats in the Gulf of Mexico, installed and maintained X-ray equipment for hospitals and clinics in the Florida panhandle, Cooked in restaurants, and now find myself at a Television station in southeast Alabama. Interestingly, I find that these experiences have shaped me in ways I could only describe as positive. And I have seen, experienced, and discovered some truly amazing things, like...

I once witnessed a porpoise in the wild nudging her new-born to the surface of the inter-coastal waterway in Louisiana, while crying... The child was lifeless.

100 miles out into the Gulf on a clear moonless night, it is possible to read a book by starlight alone.

The feet of every soul are set at the moment of birth upon a path only it can walk. We are, by our very design, lone, solitary creatures. We may find others along the way to share the journey, but the path is ours, and ours alone, unless we allow God into our hearts; allowing him to look out from behind our eyes, feel the wind on our face, the soft feel of silk on our skin, the soft brush of lips in a chaste kiss. We don't have to experience these things as solitary creatures. God wants to share them with us. He wants us to share these experiences with Him.

3-- I have always been a creative person, it is my gift from God, and nurtured by my father who also had the gift of making. I won two art contests while in school, without really trying. I've delved into music, playing trumpet in school, and dabbling with flutes, and whistles. I play guitar, and have played since I was 15. I have sculpted clay, wood, stone... Painted, sketched, written essays, stories, and lots of poetry. And I have yet to discover just what it is He would have me do with the gifts He has given me.

4-- My favorite word is 'Intaglioed.'

I have plenty of time to hash all this out. I expect I'll be filling in the particulars and setting the table for some time to come, and trying to get my bearings, so to speak. After all, I actually know the direction in which I'm moving... Toward Him, the Light, my savior... And eternity.

--* Previously posted on an earlier incarnation of Pocket Mumbles. The asterix denotes a previous post from said previous incarnations until November 2004.