Raised in Margaritaville
200 Years Too Late
Mother, Mother Ocean I have heard you call; wanted to sail upon your waters, since I was three feet tall. I discovered myself between gusts of wind and verses of Jimmy Buffett. In the ocean there is a closeness with both the vast boundless force of nature and the tiny amount of space we take up in the world. Time fades into the energy of the moment and my breath rises and falls with the tides. If it is not sailing or writing—love or gratitude—I have no time for it. The canons don’t thunder and there’s nothing to plunder, but we are pirates, all the same.
Songs of My Heart
Songs You Know by Heart, was more than a title to an album; it was a commandment to a young Parrott-Head, convinced he wasn’t too late for anything. My obsessions: sailing, pirates, and Jimmy Buffett, were born simultaneously aboard Daddy’s Girl. Being in the now is a way of being with God and therefore home. I will forever find a home in Jimmy Buffett’s art—I listened to solely Buffett’s music until the age of 14.
It’s My Own Damn Fault
Some people claim there’s a woman to blame, but I know… We must accept where we are on our paths, regardless of lacking discipline or consistency, because truly loving our current selves and position is the only way to grow. My mistakes and suffering are defining obstacles that strengthened me into the man I am today. We become one with our creator when we take responsibility for our own lives.
From Athlete to Artist
More Than a Game
As a child, my identity, in relation to my community, was in sports. My love for self is rooted in the ocean, but sports provided a platform to connect with others. Born into a family of athletes, I loved sports and poured my entire being into every game, every moment. Authentic action is based in love. My love for sports was so raw and pure, it expanded my essence through consciousness of myself. My teammates became more than friends; we were a family.
Crazy Trained
Be insane or remain the same, a lesson well-learned throughout my athletic career. As Coach’s son, toughness was required from a young age, as I was often used as an example for the rest of the team. Coach and I would be on the field before or after practice and on the weekends, taking groundballs or extra cuts in the batter’s box. Even as a child I knew to improve required hard-hard work; I did pushups and sit-ups every day. The peak of crazy-training was during high school wrestling, as I worked toward my goal of becoming a state champion and Division One athlete. Dad would watch workout videos of champion teams on YouTube and combine them for my workout. Every Sunday during the season I would complete these insane workouts. The result was unwavering physical and mental toughness.
No Longer an Athlete
Through sports, I learned to worship my body as a temple. I fulfilled a lifetime goal of becoming a Division One athlete at Davidson College. My hard work paid off. While at Davidson, I realized sports were not my identity, but only a part of it. I found identity in God, through Christianity. I attended church consistently for the first time in my life and prayed constantly throughout the day, leading prayers after each wrestling practice and before matches for anyone on my team who wanted to join. In one man’s close-minded perspective, I became uncomfortable in religion: ultimately freeing my consciousness.
Walkabout Redemption
Natural Born Leader
I am the captain of my own breath, the painter of my own fate. As a child, my mother taught me: I could be anything in the world that I wanted, if I worked for it; nothing is as important as this. My father instilled in me, I am a natural-born leader; the idea, never follow the crowd. People will follow me, regardless of the path I lead: a self-fulfilling prophecy. Identity as an athlete is awareness of self in competition, while that of an artist is consciousness in creation of self.
For Art’s Sake
I am an artist; I realize my purpose is to create art for art’s sake—allowing my art and myself to breathe. Art is love. Art is creation. All magic is rooted in imagination. Art, life, God, truth, and love are all synonymous. To acknowledge something as art is to credit its creator with obsessive intention. Art is anything that fulfills a purpose beyond itself, by simply being nothing else. Our lives are our greatest art projects. My identity, weathered with the relationship of its past, landed in the compassionate hands of Brenda Flanagan, the mother of my writing; I am a grateful life student of her love.
A Tale to Be Told
Sailing and writing, traveling, living and breathing, love, joy, and happiness, our time in the physical realm is limited, but our presence within ourselves is boundless. Our presence within infinity, defined by the impact of our creation in the universe. One must live their story or take it to the grave. Live harmonious with the truest self—now. Walkabout Redemption is real; it is my life. My redemption through the redemption of those around me. It is my job to deliver wisdom, gratitude, love, and truth—no matter the circumstance or consequence.
