So, let's get that out of the way first.

No, I'm certainly not straight. It took a major "midlife crisis" to determine that. I "came out" to my immediate family in 1995; These days I assume that most people know - I don't make a practice of telling every person I meet that I'm gay, but I don't try and hide it and would never deny it.

But before I go into details as to how that came about, here's a bit of background infromation:

I was born in Durban, South Africa, where I attended the University of Natal. Durban is a coastal resort city, with a very "laid-back" lifestyle. I spent almost all my spare time on the beach.  I have a younger brother, Merrick, who lives in London with his wife Shelley and their 3 sons.  Fortunately MCI only charge 12c/min for my calls to the UK, as we have remained close and talk to eachother by phone several times a week.  My father still lives in South Africa, while my mother passed away in 1986 after a valiant battle with cancer.

Melanie and I met 21 years ago while I was still a student. We were married in 1980 and our first son, Myron, was born in 1983. Jay was born in 1989.  You can read more about them on the page that deals with my family.

After obtaining my Bachelor of Commerce degree we moved to Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. I had always been interested in advertising and promotions and became involved in automotive marketing.

In 1986 I was Marketing Manager of Renault Africa, when the company was forced to withdraw from South Africa because of sanctions. Because I was pessimistic about the political situation I decided to accept a job offer in the United States and moved to Santa Monica in California. I'm thrilled that the predictions about the inability of South Africans to peacefully solve their political situation proved wrong. The goodwill that exists now among people of all races is wonderful. Hopefully the high crime rate that came about as a result of unemployment will be reduced, as new investment takes place.

After two years and several earthquakes in California, we decided to move to Houston which was just coming out of the mid-80's slump. I invested in a company that obtained the license to operate a Gianni Versace Boutique in the Houston Galleria. We subsequently expanded by opening Versace and Versace Jeans Couture stores in Atlanta and Dallas.  In March 1998 I sold out my interest in the company.  I'm currently looking at other opportunities, including the possibility of getting involved in WebDesign and Administration on a full-time basis.

While I remain interested in cars, at present my involvement in the automotive industry is limited to reading almost every domestic car magazine - and enjoying my '97 Boxster.

I turned 40 in 1994 and to say I had a midlife crisis would be a major understatement.

I decided that I was going to live life to the utmost, and that I never wanted to say, "Gee, if only...". I had been traveling to Atlanta on regular business and although I'd been to gay bars and clubs before, I'd never felt comfortable or felt a sense of belonging. Going out in Atlanta changed all that. Suddenly I was able to identify with those around me. I finally realized that being gay did not necessarily mean that you had to be flamboyant or effeminate - that society's stereotypes just didn't apply.

Shortly afterwards, I met and fell in love with David, and finally most of the pieces in the puzzle seemed to come together. The strange thing was that my feelings for Melanie didn't diminish - in fact they intensified. I can't explain how or why, but the best analogy I can think of is my feelings towards my children: When my first child was born I loved him as much as was humanly possible. A few years later, when we had a second child, I loved him just as much, and my feelings and love for my eldest child weren't compromised. I felt the same was true loving both Melanie and David.

Today, while David and I are no longer lovers, we remain really good friends. He knows that he will always occupy a special place in my heart. I'm comfortable with who I am - there are no secrets or skeletons in the closet - and my primary concern is to be as good a husband and father as I possibly can.

I'm truly in awe of my wife, Melanie. She never ceases to amaze me. We remain lovers, confidants, and above all - best friends. With her, I've always enjoyed an incredible amount of freedom. Freedom that I've tried not to abuse. She allows me to visit the gay bars and clubs on my own, although more often than not, here in Houston we go out together. All my gay friends adore her and she really personifies the saying "Straight But Not Narrow".

At times she has felt insecure, but I think she has begun to accept that I'm not about to throw everything that exists between us away, just because I've developed a crush on someone I may have met. Yes, there are no guarantees in life... but I believe that I've already found a soul-mate and if anyone else were to become part of my life, they would have to accept and respect the relationship I have with her.

We have many straight friends as well. While I've discussed my orientation with some of them, I honestly don't know who knows and who doesn't, and frankly it doesn't bother me. It isn't an issue for me, and hopefully it isn't an issue for them. The same is true of my relatives. So if you're a friend or part of my family, and you didn't know - well, now you do!!!

My interests include weightlifting (I work out at 24HR Fitness on Richmond, which used to be a World's Gym), jogging, sports cars , gay issues, circuit parties (yeah, I know I'm probably the world's oldest circuit boy!), music (especially dance) and movies. We travel a lot, and wherever we go I make a point of checking out the hottest dance clubs - you can check out my recommendations on my circuit party page.