If you’re curious about my logo . . .

The six petal flower, or hexafoil, is an ancient symbol believed by many cultures to be magical and a symbol of home and family. Drawn by overlapping seven circles – the one in the middle counts – I like its symmetry and balance. The six petals, one for each member of my immediate family (well, officially as soon as we have one more wedding), combine to be the center of my life and focus.

At the top is a combined sun and moon. It is something my wife an I kind of adopted for ourselves during a trip to Mexico. The balanced (do you sense a theme here?) and eternal nature of it mean a lot to us and I can either see it as our faces or those of our kids or both. I have a great tattoo of it that my wife drew. It is at the top because without her light nothing works.

To the right is the Celtic Tree of Life. Not only does it speak to my Scottish roots, but it also lends itself to balance. This time between growth and change upward balanced by the roots and depth below.

Continuing clockwise you come to the quill. This speaks to my love of literature and writing. It was my first and as such my most enduring passion. I believe int he power of words, and in storytelling. It is also happy coincidence that my son has a very similar tattoo on his arm.

Then there is the volleyball. A huge portion of my life has been shaped, and indeed would not be, if it weren’t for volleyball. More than just my chosen career, it gave an outlet for my passion and provided me opportunities galore. Many of the most influential and important people in my life came from it and most of of my international travel has come through it. It is very likely that more people in my life call me by Coach than any other name. 

Which brings us to Burning Man. Wanting to go for twenty-five years but unable to thanks to my career, when I finally did it was actually life-changing – not a term I throw around loosely. It spoke to me in a way no other thing in my life ever has and given a new passion and pursuit and just the right moment in my life. It is often said you can’t understand it if you’ve never been, but if you’re not careful I’ll try to explain it anyway.

The last piece, the lantern, is an extension of the Burn in the form of the Lamplighters. The camp that we joined and the longest running art installation at the Burn (thirty-three years), it is more than a camp – sometimes only half-jokingly called a cult. A remarkable group of people with beautiful purpose, we have formed profound and lasting relationships in such a short period of time it is hard to believe. If the Burn is my second life the Lamplighters are my found family.

Things I believe in, things that have shaped me, things I love. I am one lucky fella.