Thursday, July 9, 2009

Father Of Mine

I think Kirsten put this together about six years ago. Obviously it is very special to me.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Sweet Sisters

Glad I have this video

sweet sisters

my girls sure do love each other,

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Kirsten & Sunshine 2003

Kirsten was thirteen and she had already spent several years developing her "chops". Between 2002 - 2003 Sunshine Jones worked with Kirsten on guitar. This video captures a special opportunity when they got together and performed in an intimate wine bar setting.



Monday, June 29, 2009

Meyer Reunion

The 2009 Meyer Reunion/Union celebration was incredible. I feel blessed by this renewed opportunity to build relationships with so many people that have shared in our history. This video was put together rather quickly and it misses the wedding/reception. I'm certain there will be plenty of material from others.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Glorious Fatherdom

Twenty years ago I was preparing to be a father.

Holy face plant batman!
The kid might not have it in him.
Surfer, artist, non-conformist (sorta).
Who gave this guy the keys to the car?


Most people don’t know that Margaret and I tried for at least 4.5 years to conceive. Literally (and figuratively) the rubber mask was off and it was game on! Easter morning in 1989 the pregnancy test kit we purchased two days earlier was out on the kitchen table and we prayed for a miracle. After going through so many years of
disappointment and discouraging news (dude, I didn’t know that boxers were better than briefs) we had no confidence.

That small test strip presented the most beautiful color I had ever seen.

Within one year my life would change forever. Kirsten was ten days old and crying in one of our apartment bedrooms while four staff members of “Southswell Magazine” slept in other rooms resting up for another 2 weeks of grinding on a surf publication that I had launched three years earlier.
How can I be a good father amongst all this chaos?
In 1989 I published my last issue of Southswell.
Up until that time I knew this publication helped define who I was. However, after letting go of one of my dreams I struggled to understand who I might become. Survivor was always my mantel. This is the way I learned it:
Be honest, work hard and do everything possible to achieve success. No matter how tough things get if you keep trying you will reach your goals. Now I was in uncharted territory. My life was no longer going to be defined by my individual pursuits.
The debt was difficult. The lack of self-confidence was even worse. Within two years Katherine was born and life was getting very interesting. Working out of our home — part time jobs in Saint Augustine and downtown Jacksonville. Small clients along with Surf Expo (one very important large account). More than half our monthly income was going to the government and the remainder was sustaining the four of us. Sounds corny but it was the best of times and the worst of times. I battled some depression.
The odds seemed stacked against me.

Who do you think you are raising-up these children in the midst of failure?
I can’t believe twenty years of Fatherdom has passed. I can’t believe how beautiful my girls are. I really don’t know how I got to this place except by the grace of God. My view of success and failure has slowly changed over the past two decades. I still struggle with the money concept. Society requires that we must have enough to be perceived legitimate. I’m not so sure.

I have abundance. I love you Margaret, Kirsten and Katherine!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Would you just grow up?

C'mon Kurtis, when are you going to grow up? I know that's the question these two clips deserve. If I did grow up I guess it would not be as much fun.