About me:
There's my resume, of course: blah blah blah blah blah. There is little of interest in it to most people, as it states that I have been a pilot for most of my adult life; I have never caused anyone whose safety I have been charged with to be injured or killed; I have never violated federal aviation regulations; or damaged an aircraft I have been responsible for. I have flown more miles than all the Apollo missions combined, and have enjoyed most of it when someone hasn't been shooting at me.

When it comes to everything else, the answer is that I've done most everything in life that has interested me. I'm not one of these people who put their mind into neutral on Monday and start living on Friday night: nor do I go along in life taking whatever life dishes out, meekly waiting for death to snuff me out. I'd rather come sliding up to the Pearly Gates, maybe a little torn up, disheveled, perhaps having had a little bit of wine, saying "Wow! That was one HELLUVA a ride!"

Life taught me long ago that I'm wasting my time trying to impress someone or have them like me. Sorry, but I don't believe in wasting other people's time doing either.

If you don't like intelligent men, don't waste my time. My IQ is scary. I read books two or three at a time in subjects ranging from the sciences, mathematics to history. The last two great books I've read are "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" and "Dark Sun" -- both written by Richard Rhodes. I am the type of person who thinks about the structure of the atom and the cosmos both. Though I like to have fun, there's a deep, silent, contemplative side to me that scares some people, particularly those who are uncomfortable with silence or intelligence...

I am a one-woman man. That woman has been my wife of 26 years. She is the gentlest, most humble person I have ever met, but she is also one of the most intelligent, creative, inspiring and affable people I have ever come across. She has been the gifted teacher of a thousand or more children and has approached each accepting their gifts and deficits individually. Her inspiration has always been that children are not vessels to be filled, but fires to be lighted -- and she has been magnificent in bringing out the best of most every student she has been in contact with. She is also one of the naturally funniest women -- a gifted cartoonist, as well -- who has brought mirth and laughter to her friends for most of her life! Despite all her gifts, she is a gentle, loving soul who wouldn't say the word (crap) even if she had a mouthful of it. You couldn't ruffle her feathers even if you hit her with a brick.

She has supported me in my endeavors even as they have taken me away from home for as much as 25 days a month. We have shared my time away from home (wanna see an impressive phone bill?) all hours of the night and day: I have sent thousands of post cards to her classes in my travels so that they can view the world as I have. I have sent her love notes, and, cards in more than 70 languages, and my suitcase always has gifts from around the world to take home to her: the small, the exquisite, and the breathtaking.

Life has been very good to us, and as much as it has brought all manner of joy, friends, riches in great abundance to us, it has been unusually cruel as well. My wife is dying of small strokes that have destroyed parts of her brain, causing it to die slowly and taking her along with it.

A woman of extraordinary beauty, she has taught me what real beauty is.

External beauty is such a transient thing. For most attractive women, their beauty is an accident of birth or surgery and is relatively easy to have and maintain in their youth. The real beauty of a woman is what's inside: love, warmth, caring, compassion, character and "substance" -- just to name a few. But of late, she has impressed me with more, profound lessons about her beauty.

When I see the simple courage and grace that she shows though she knows that something is terribly wrong in her ability to think clearly, I want to weep -- but will not. She carries on with her head held high. That is the way she is: it is how she has lived and now, she is going to teach me the final lessons about loving, courage and strength as she dies.

I guess that the rest really doesn't matter.

So my loyalties are to my wife, whom I love with all my heart, right next to my love of God and this country. I am not looking to hook up with someone... and will not have any interests beyond being a good friend.

Be forewarned: with me, friendship goes way beyond the thickness of a piece of paper. Friendship goes to the core with me -- those who are my friends know that I "have their 6", pilot talk for having their back. As a friend, you can count on me to watch your back and be there when needed.

AND TO SAVE EACH OTHER A LOT OF TIME, please include the word "engage" somewhere in your friend request, just to let me know that you took the time to read about me (thank you!), that you understand that I am married to the woman of my dreams, and that you are also aware that she is mortally ill. This may not mean a lot to you but she means everything to me...

ONE LAST NOTE (DON'T STOP READING NOW):
One lesson that was very difficult for me to comprehend is usually the very place where most people stop reading...

Perhaps the one of the greatest elements of beauty is loving yourself -- not at the expense of loving others for themselves -- and not being narcissistic about it. I have found that people who are OBESE have generally stopped caring about their health, appearance, fitness -- and in general, they have stopped caring about their self. They are generally very miserable people who at some point found refuge in eating food and have allowed a very ugly element to penetrate and spoil their beauty, something that festers in their personality with defensiveness and pre-emptive anger. You don't have to have external beauty with very shapely features to be beautiful -- but true beauty requires loving and respecting yourself. I have met some women who were overweight -- but they were also very, very classy: they made the most of what God and life has given them; they love and respect themselves -- which is absolutely essential to loving and respecting others.