My Hero's Journey

Jose was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, as the oldest sibling of two. As with any boy growing up who couldn’t wait to return home and spend his evenings after dinner and homework would play video games, watch cartoons or movies while fighting alongside those heroes he admired and let loose his imagination with his toys and ventured into imaginative adventures with his brother, Andy. Although he had some struggles in school, he found comfort in his play during recess or with neighborhood children on the weekend, whether it was hide-and-seek or riding bikes downhill and the thrill of out-speed passing cars or coming crashing into the cement floor with bruises to avoid slamming into a car.

Those childhood years of innocence would change with the introduction of high school, and puberty became a catalyst for romantic interest, in his first couple, romantic relationships would spark the first poem he wrote in his sophomore year of high school. Ironically, in those earlier years reading wasn’t a profound influence as it was in his later years but writing gave him a method to mull over the nuances of our relationship with reality, people, and both the good and bad of our nature and with those early amateur verses paved with subsequent bodies of verses and prose but he took a slight detour from recognizing his calling.

One of his childhood dreams was designing video games and he headed off to college to be a programmer only to shift his discipline into the broader information technology discipline, which would carry him into a career for over a decade; although, during those cumulative years, he wrote verses and fiction as a means of expression, understanding, and joy from the sometimes difficulties of life and its challenges. His fascination with better understanding himself and the world around him would lead him to different disciplines of studies: psychology, philosophy, mythology, history, and science. Story-rich universes like The Lord of The Rings, and the myths and lore of various cultures throughout history filled him with awe and a curiosity to learn more about their meaning; how can we learn about the art of living from these stories that have endured time and make them relevant today and how titles like The Lord of The Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Matrix conveys the hero’s journey and permeates our culture to this day?

Even though he accumulated a wealth of knowledge over the years, he wanted a more effective way to put it into practice. He wanted to share his insight for others to glean. He thought running a web design business would satisfy that inclination gnawing at him all these years until, one day, piecing together his journal entries, he realized the passion for writing was what he had been seeking in life all along: although, he didn't make his works public until he learned the importance of reading and writing as gateways to better understanding the world, its therapeutic effect, and its ability to develop compassion, entertainment, and wisdom. He felt compelled and liberated, hoping to provide this value to others in books.

Jose enjoys spending his time weight training, reading and writing, collecting leather-bound books, and video games; adventurous activities such as water rafting, zip lining, roller skating, and snowboarding with his child, Tsunade. He lives in Massachusetts and enjoys traveling and road trips as often as possible and kicks back on a weekend night watching a movie or TV show or with loved ones.