I recently decided to make some huge life altering changes and am taking a sabbatical from working altogether. It became evident to me over a period of several months, and after some very painful situations, I've been travelling on a path that isn't true to who I am, what I believe in or where I want to be. When one pursues a life that is counter to his or her personality, it can cause tremendous mental, physical and spiritual stress. That's where I found myself.
Each day I seek a oneness with the world around me, a calm inside of me and serenity in my thinking. I am focusing on those people that are sharing this part of the journey with me: friends and family.
I can't really describe it. Maybe it's like awaking from a some deep slumber. Every day brings some new level of self awareness. I'm becoming reacquainted with the person I really am, and I like it!
There's no telling where this path will lead, but I know that it'll be full of interesting people and events.
Music
Music is second only to breathing for me. My tastes cross a huge spectrum. I enjoy ethnic-based music of almost any country, classical, heavy metal, grunge, electronic - really almost anything. Some days I'll listen to Frank Sinatra or the Four Freshmen; other days it could Audioslave, Canned Heat or even Nine Inch Nails. I wear my music like I do my clothes and my moods.
Music is the extension of someone else's thoughts. When I listen to Mozart, as an example, I know I am hearing the very same thing he heard in his mind when he composed that piece. It's almost other worldly.
Movies
My taste in movies is also pretty broad. I favor horror or psychological thrillers, but will watch anything that is well written and acted. I love Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Robert Duvall, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins - you get the drift.
Television
Ghosthunters, Monster Quest, Two and a Half Men, House, all the Law & Orders series, documentaries, good movies, the news (only when I must),
Books
I tend to like books (fiction or non-fiction) dealing with history, cultures, science, religion, spirituality, and the paranormal. My library includes Anya Seton, Stephen King, Doug Owsley, Jane Goodall, Zawi Hawass. I sometimes have two or more books underway at one time; usually in different genres. I just grab whatever my mood dictates. Books have to make me feel or hit a chord in me, just like the music and the art I enjoy.
Heroes
My father, my step-grandfather, my daughters, my maternal grandparents, Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, Queen Elizabeth I, Doug Owsley, Robert Plant, Winston Churchill, Jesus, Buddha, Bill Wilson, TAPS, Paul Williams, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Michael Hawley (MIT), Dr. U. Joseph Schoepf, Stephen King, and Dr. Zawi Hawass.
About me: I think of myself as an elemental. I'm an Aquarius and some people believe that the name Jennifer (derived from Guinevere, and the even earlier Gaelic Gwenhwymawr) means "white wave." Ever since I was very small, I've enjoyed a very special relationship with animals. My "menagerie" currently includes two dogs, two cats in the house, and several raccoons, two grey foxes, way too many oppossums, at least one coyote and about 25 head of deer that visit from my woods every day.
My hobbies including macro-photography, cooking, gardening, reading, singing, dancing, jigsaw puzzles (helps me relax), being outdoors, and broadening my horizons whenever possible.
I don't ever want to stop learning or being curious. For too many years I forgot about the child in me; now I realize that child is perhaps the most important part of who I am. It is the fun, adventure and spontaneity I enjoy.
Who I'd like to meet: Jane Goodall, Robert Plant, Zawi Hawass, Stephen King, the guys from TAPS, Paul Williams, Michael Hawley (MIT), and Al Pacino (to name a very few). Actually, many of the people I would like most to have met are dead. They include my great, great grandparents, the Pharoah Akhenaten, Pope John Paul II, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Marie Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Rasputin, Ben Franklin, Ramses the Great, Buddha, Leonardo Da Vinci, Mozart, Degas, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Ronald Reagan.
I know this sounds like a REALLY bizarre group of people, but they are all so significant to our world history, both good and bad, that being able to sit down and have a conversation with any of them would be REALLY interesting.
Thanks so much for the kinds words about my music. I really do appreciate it! I'm looking at a Feb. 14(Valentine's Day) release of my CD on CD baby, whereby ALL of the tracks will be available for listening. I will most certainly keep you posted on new developments. Thanks again, and have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Paul
![Ordinary Pop [NEW ALBUM]](http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/5/s_6c4bebf3be2c4afaa09dd2ef0e3cf17a.jpg)
