The Era of Cartouche Begins


Iβm not a website builder. Iβm just a guy with a camera, a camper, and a hell of a fight on my hands.
My therapist told me to find a hobby; my motherβs old parchment told me to find myself.
Iβm decoding these ancient symbols while I navigate the halls of MD Anderson.
This isn't about being "perfect"βit's about being unshakable.
Itβs about leaving something behind for my grandkids that proves I was here, I was real, and I stayed in balance.

A personal history of healing and protection from the Gulf Coast, inspired by the ancient symbols of the Era of Cartouche.
A Circle of Protection Around a Broken Past
When I first looked at the papyrus, I just saw two ovals. But as I dug deeper, I realized those ovals are Shen rings. In the ancient world, to have your name inside a Shen was to be placed under a permanent, royal seal of protection. It meant you were "inside" the circle, and nothing could touch you.
For my wife, being placed inside that circle was the ultimate act of redemption from my mother.
My wife spent her early life outside the circleβfoster homes, abandonment, and abuse. She was someone the world had failed to protect. I lived my life thinking my mother would always see her as an outsider because of that history.
But there it is, in the ink: My mother didn't just acknowledge her; she used the Shen to pull her inside. By circling my wifeβs name in the same gold and blue protection she gave her own son, my mother was saying that the past was over. The abandonment was done.
She wasn't just a guest in our family; she was under the family seal, eternally protected and finally home.

A Gulf Coast lesson on finding balance and strength through the ancient symbols of the Cobra and the Vulture.
Finding Your Balance
If you look closely at the forehead of the mask on my wall, youβll see two creatures: a rearing
Cobra (Wadjet) and a Vulture (Nekhbet). In the ancient world, these two together represented the unification of a divided land.
But on a personal level, they represent something even deeper: The Balance of Strength and Grace.
To truly move forward, you need both. You can't just be "all strike" or "all wing." You have to know when to fight for your future and when to give yourself the grace to rest. When these two are balanced on your "forehead"βin your mindβyou are finally the ruler of your own life.

A Gulf Coast perspective on the ancient truth: finding the strength to let go and live light.
As a Feather
Once youβve done the hard work of protecting your past and pushing toward the light, you reach a point of stillness. In the old stories, this was the moment of truth: Is your heart heavy with the past, or is it light enough to fly?
We often carry the "broken" parts of our history like lead weights. We think being strong means carrying it all. But true strengthβthe kind the Scarab representsβis about transformation. Itβs about processing that weight until your heart feels light again.
Being "light" doesn't mean your past didn't happen. It means it no longer anchors you to the ground. Youβve done the labor. Youβve earned the protection. Now, itβs time to see how high you can actually go.

A personal reflection on power and stability from the Gulf Coast, using ancient symbols to see through the noise of the modern world.
Power, Stability, and Light
If you look closely at the art on my wall, there is a small cluster of symbols right at the top. Most people would walk right past them, but they are the "secret code" for everything weβve been talking about.
This is a three-part story of transformation. It begins with The Stabilizer (Foundation), moves through The Engine (The Daily Push), and reaches The Destination (The Light). It is the 'secret code' for turning a broken past into a bright future. Scroll down to read the full breakdown of these powerful symbols.

A Gulf Coast story of rebirth and transformation, inspired by the ancient journey of the Scarab through the shadows.
Rebirth from the Shadows
The Scarab represents the god Khepriβthe rising sun and the symbol of 'coming into being.' It represents the struggle of pushing through the dirt to reach the light. For my wife, this is her story: a journey from the shadows of foster care to a life of reinvented strength. It proves that a broken past isn't a shameβitβs a transformation.

A Gulf Coast perspective on keeping your eyes wide open to the truth, even when others try to hide their actions behind closed doors.
In Ancient Egypt, the eyes of the Pharaoh were more than just for lookingβthey were for perception. They were painted wide open to show that a true leader never blinks in the face of the truth.
Iβm leaving this here so you know that even when the 'Good Old Boys' tried to hide their actions behind secret meetings and closed doors, I kept my eyes wide open. I had the clarity to see the corruption and the vision to find our way to safety.
Never let the chaos around you blind you to whatβs right. If you keep your vision clear and your eyes on the light, the shadows can never surprise you. This is the 'Real Me'βthe man who saw the truth and didn't look away.
Ancient history meets cosmic rock. This is the Era of Cartouche. Turn it up!

This serpent sits at the very top of my name. In the ancient phonetic system, it represents the "J" sound.
The Meaning: I call this the Guardian. It stands watch over a journey that began 55 years ago in the hills of New Hampshire, traveled through Germany with the Army, and across the map from Dexter's in Connecticut to the Peace River Wildlife Center and the Gale Group in Florida.
From the shores of Destin and Punta Gorda to 11 years in Malibu and a decade in Southwest Louisiana.
This cobra represents the vigilance and sharp focus Iβve maintained through every chapter. It is my first line of defense, ensuring that a lifetime of service and personal battles remains protected and preserved.

The middle symbol is the Flowering Reed Leaf, which gives us the "E" sound.The Meaning: This is the Bridge. Just as papyrus paper is made from these strong, flexible fibers, this symbol represents resilience. It is the link that connects my past to your future. It shows that even the most delicate things can survive for thousands of years if they have a strong fiber and are treated with respect.

At the foundation are two Horned Vipers. Each one represents an "F" sound.The Meaning: These are the Defenders. In Egypt, the horned viper was a sign of fiery protection for the name it carried. Having two of them at the base of my name means my foundationβand your legacyβis double-strength. It is a promise that the ground we stand on is secure, defended, and built to last.
The Engine, and The Destination
If you look closely at the art on my wall, there is a small cluster of symbols at the top. Most people would walk right past them, but they are the "secret code" for everything Iβve been through. It is a three-part story of how to build a life:
The Truth About the Journey
Iβm leaving this here for my grandkids so they know the man I really was. I spent 9.5 years protecting the water and the people of Cameron Parish.
I chose to walk away with my integrity intact, moving from the shadows of that broken system into the light of my new life in Texas. Never let the chaos blind you to who you are.
The stars look very different tonight

Iβve traveled the miles and faced the storms to stand here on the bedrock of the Painted Desert. Out here, the truth is easy to findβeverything else gets stripped away by the wind and the sun. This is my foundation and my perspective.
No filters, no excusesβjust the raw data of a journey thatβs far from over. Iβm the Sesh keeping the record straight, one horizon at a time, so youβll always know exactly where your grandfather stood.
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