David Jon Peckinpaugh is a father, friend, author, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and musician; a lover of humanity.

Author of numerous writings, including the books Buddha & Shakespeare: Eastern Dharma, Western Drama (2004); Naked Guide To Life And Death: Experts, Extremism, Evolution, Education (2002); and the e-book Framing The Postmodern: Language, Culture, Commerce, Consciousness (2000). Has also written numerous blogs, as well as essays for Frank Visser and the Integral World website.

Also a musician and songwriter who writes and performs original music as Dandelion Sky while playing in the Northern Michigan rock band Random X all across the “Tip of the Mitt” area.

In his own words

I was inspired at the age of 23 by the writings of Henry David Thoreau while talking a course in college. The next semester I dropped out of college, moved to a Forest in Northern Michigan, and began to discover and find ways to live a more authentic life in the midst of so many cultural forces that conspire to have us disown ourselves---and our own experience---in trade for “systems” that always seem to end up becoming a suit of clothes that fit either us too tight or too loose.

This journey has continued uninterrupted, while deepening, over the past 2 decades. An adherent of no specific system, I am an appreciator of the potential “truths” that any and all systems of belief may include. My experience has shown me that none of us are made to be an exact “fit” for any written in stone system. They are, rather, more like tools that we can use for specific situations and circumstances in our lives. If we use the wrong tool for the right job it does us no good. Or the right tool for the wrong job! Because all systems have their own forms of “absolutes” it is easy for us to adopt a system of belief and then try to make it fit every circumstance or condition in our lives. This is where systems fail us. And where we in our allegiance to systems fail ourselves and each other.

My 'David'... encounter

From the moment I met David on Facebook we become strange friends exchanging funny and humorous posts, yet hardly ever talking in private; could be that behind that shell of carefree innocence we both recognized in each other that depth of spirit that cannot be expressed in words. And so we become virtual cousins. The year of 2011, especially the first part brought us together though experiencing similar paths in romantic love; learning, loosing, loving ourselves through all of it, heartbreak and all. I found David's poems such a wonderful expression and I am honored to host them on Love Notes. Enjoy. ♥