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I
grew up mostly in Missouri and Illinois, where my younger sister and
I were raised by both of my parents. I feel very good about my upbringing,
and embrace the values my parents exhibited and taught: honesty, responsibility
and reliability, morality, open-mindedness and tolerance, living beneath
one's means, the importance of education (my father earned a Ph.D.,
my mother a master's degree), to name a few.
My family did many things together when I was growing up, including
bicycling, camping, and playing music. For several years, our family
vacations were bicycle camping trips through various corners of
the Midwest. We played old-time music at fairs and folk festivals
as a family band-I was the banjo player. I have many fond memories
of those activities. We all shared close relationships with each
other.
My father died of cancer when I was 16. My mother has remarried,
and is happily settled in Virginia, a small town in west-central
Illinois. My sister married a great guy last year. She and her husband
live in the Washington, D.C. area, where she is studying for a Ph.D.
in sociology. We all keep in regular contact, and typically see
each other a couple of times a year.
After high school, I went to the University of Missouri. There I
met Susan, who has become the lady of my life. We dated for two
years and married shortly after I graduated. Then we headed for
California, where I pursued graduate study at Caltech. We moved
to the Dallas area in 1989, and have been here ever since. I could
go on for some time about Susan, but she gets to tell you about
herself, too. I will say that I think she's a terrific person-good-hearted,
intelligent, attractive, a good mother-and that our relationship
is stronger than ever. We are still very much in love, are each
other's best friend, and rely on each other for support and encouragement.
We have a common core of shared values, and enjoy many common interests,
but also have room in our relationship for individual pursuits as
well.
The youngest member of our immediate family is our son Corey. We
adopted Corey when he was a newborn, and it's been a joy raising
him. Susan stayed home for his first two years, and intends to stay
home with our second child too. Corey is now nine years old, and
has just finished the third grade. He is a healthy, energetic, bright,
handsome young lad. We feel very fortunate to have him for our son,
and are very grateful to his birthmother, Christine, for choosing
to let us adopt him. I spend a great deal of time with Corey, playing,
teaching, reading, and just sharing his company. We bicycle, walk,
skate, swim, play ball, play games, build things together, work
on Cub Scout activities; during the school year I spend lots of
time tutoring him in his math and other subjects. I still read to
him every night; right now we're working on Tolkien's "The Lord
of the Rings."
I'll
try to describe to you what I am like as a person. I am very independent
and curious, and have always liked to do things for myself. I am
conscientious and responsible. I am more of a listener than a talker,
and have a good deal of tolerance and patience. I am confident and
consider myself to be very capable. I am optimistic, a little idealistic,
eager to please, and enjoy helping others. I grew up in the Unitarian
church, and Susan and I have attended the Methodist church in the
past.
I have always been physically active, and enjoy vigorous exercise.
In high school I participated in cross country, track, and wrestling,
and I still enjoy running, bicycling, weight training, and high-energy
games with Corey. I love the outdoors, and activities such as hiking,
camping, and sailing. I am a conservationist, too, and a dedicated
recycler. Other activities I very much enjoy include reading, working
with my hands, fixing things, listening to music, and watching movies.
I have enjoyed working on our house and in the yard since we've
been homeowners.
My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in physics. I joined the
faculty at the University of North Texas in 1991, where I now have
tenure. I supervise graduate students and conduct research, and
also teach courses from the freshman level to the graduate level.
Being a college physics professor is a wonderful job for me--I love
to figure out how things work, I have a flexible schedule, and I
love to teach.
Getting back to the issue at hand, Susan and I want to adopt a child
because we are infertile as a couple. Our adoption of Corey has
been an extremely positive and rewarding experience. We have always
wanted two children, and are now seeking to complete our family.
I believe that we are good parents, and have a great deal to offer
another child, who would be loved deeply and nurtured in a secure
environment filled with opportunity. We eagerly await that eventuality.
I hope this has been enough to give you an idea of what kind of
person and father I am. I admire what you are doing for your child,
and know that it cannot be easy for you. If you would like to contact
us, please do not hesitate to do so. In any event, I wish you well,
and hope that the future holds good things for you and your child.
Should you entrust your child to us, then we will do everything
within our power to assure his or her future happiness and wellbeing
in a loving and supportive environment.
--Duncan
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