The first set of kids my older sister had were twins. I gave them the nicknames of “PJ” and “Chub”.
They are now young men but one thing they used to say as they were kids were the usual “Be nice uncle, you’re Mormon.”
Though my faith promotes being independent in many aspects, I have also embraced another teaching we have which is helping those in need. One of my favorite hymns is “Because I Have Been Given Much, I Too Must Give.”
Regardless of my faith, my grandmother and mother have taught our family from a young age to always give back. It was so mind boggling to me whenever I thought about this because growing up, we didn’t have running water or electricity or that I slept on a dirt floor. I remember one time I didn’t get any new clothes in middle school.
None the less, it seemed my parents and grandparents did an incredible job at having me believe we always had more and that we should always find ways to give back.
As I’ve gotten older and having the businesses I have, from them, I’m able to promote and remember “I too must give”.
From the sales of my images and my Native American flute album, I’ve donated funds and time to deliver fresh drinking water – in fact, over 4 semi trailers worth!
I have also helped install solar panels on Navajoland for those living without the resources and ultimately, find joy in helping those in my community or stuck on the road. In fact, after my 2nd deliver of fresh drinking water to Navajoland, on the way back to Salt Lake City, my friend Braydon and I were talking about how to give back even more.
Five minutes later and north of Moab, UT, we saw a young man on the side of the road trying to repair a flat tire on his road bike. His name was Calvin and we spent a couple hours with him to get him back on the road. He was traveling from the South with gear and even a surfboard! No Joke! A couple months after, I was working in the darkroom in Flagstaff, Arizona and low and behold, guess who I see flying through town? Calvin….