My full name is Joseph Keith Smith. Named Joseph after my paternal grandfather, Joseph Doyle Smith. Named Keith after my father, Daniel Keith Smith. I don't know my father well. He and my mother, Jeana, divorced when I was very young. I was born in Roseville, CA in good ole 1974. With a little mathwork, you'll figure out that I'm 31. I was raised in a Christian atmosphere most of my life, and when I wasn't living in one, there was still some kind of Christian influence there for me. In 83, I moved to Ardmore, OK to live with my grandparents, Harold and Bertha Robinson. I spent nearly every weekend of the next 2 years at Lebanon, Oklahoma on Lake Texhoma fishing and camping. God, how I miss those innocent days. I moved back with my mother, brother, and stepdad and ended up moving around alot during the next few years, but we always ended up back in Ardmore. When I hit Jr High in 7th grade, I started attending Dickson schools. Right about that time in my life, at the age of 12 actually, I believed I was called for something more from 'on high'. I felt that God was calling me, so I decided to live the Christian life. I stuck with Dickson until my senior year, and then ended up at a private school in Ardmore called Heritage Christian School. I'm still not sure why. I just wanted a change. I graduated in 93, and headed straight for Texas Bible College in Houston, TX. I spent about three months there, and realized I couldn't afford to stay, so I quit before I went into debt. It was for the best though. Bible college wasn't for me. Soon after that, I began to explore 'the world'. I had to 'sew my wild oats' so to say. In 95, I enlisted in the US Navy and became an RM (radio telecommunications/data processing tech). RM was eventually changed to IT (Information Systems Tech). I spent 6 months in San Diego at my Navy "A" School. I spent most of that time in Tijuana actually. God only knows how I made it through without getting in trouble. I got stationed at CINCUSACOM (now calledCINCUSJFCOM) in March of 96. I decided around the end of '96 that I would turn my life back to God, but just didn't have the incentive. Well, He gave it to me. In Feburary 97, I got a DUI. Two months later, I got busted for hacking on a secret military internet. I lost the advancement to 3rd class petty officer that I had just recieved. I sure could've used that pay raise. That's a long gone past though. I began living my life right after that. I grew up quite a bit and tried to live a Christian life by conventional standards. In the summer of '98, I was a Youth Camp dorm father and counselor. I was having my ministry being blessed in my dealings with the youth in my church also. I received orders USS Shamal (PC-13), and went there in March '99. So, I did the special forces thing for a couple years. I made E-5 onboard the Shamal, but it just wasn't enough to keep me in the Navy. I just saw too much two-facedness. I saw too many people not qualified to be leaders, being just that because of rank. I decided it was time to hang up my dixie cup and head off to college. I became a Freshman at the University of Texas at Arlington in January '00. I became a Resident Assistant for the summer and then stayed on for the Fall sememster. Unfortunately, the financial aid office lost my paperwork and I had to leave school. They figured that out after I was out. After I'd missed tests. I could have given them the copies I had made of the originals if I'd known what was missing. I spent a lot of time soul searching after that. I worked here and there. The IT industry was so dead and I couldn't get a foot in anywhere. Looking back, it was a smart move to stand back and take some time off from thinking too hard like I did in the Navy and college. That's when I decided to take everything I have been taught in my life from religion to sports and put it under a fine microscope. I started with religion and it took me a long time to figure out what I really believe. It was a hard thing to do. I've come to the solution that religion is there to keep us believing in something though. I agree with Marx on it being the opiate of the masses. The more I look for God, the less I find. I claim agnostic when asked these days, but I'm actually an athiest. Agnostic is just more PC maybe, or maybe it keeps people from trying to debate with me. I moved to Nebraska in October 2002. It was what I needed for a new start. It was something different. I never found work there, so I moved to Harlan, IA to stay with my family until I got on my feet. In August 2003, I started classes at Iowa Western Community College. It took me three years to get that two year degree, but I know it was worth it. I worked on the campus newspaper, The Rover, as a reporter and the lead editor for the entire three years. I served one year on the Student Senate representing the newspaper as well. In May 2006, I graduated with an AA in Electronic Media Studies (Radio/TV). I spent the summer after that contemplating taking some time off from college, but thought it best to stay in school and just get it done. I made a lot of good friends in Iowa, but I wanted to attend a liberal arts school at the next level and also missed all the good music down in Texas. So, I am now a Texas State Bobcat. I'm pursuing a degree in Sociology. I'd like to emphasize in Environmental Sociology down the road.

Well, that is my life in a nutshell up 'til August 2006. More to come... Thanks for listening...well...reading!