Frank Hunkler

I am Love.

Welcome to my world!

I love you!

For many years now I have begun my social media posts with those wonderful words. I say those words to my self many times a day, when I enter a room or interaction, with a smile on my face. Those simple words raise the standard for what comes next, for me, very high. And it takes the same amount of time to say “I love you!” as to say “I hate you!”. I am love. I am not hate.

As I review my life I have had only one passion, one obsession and one mission. To survive against all odds and succeed against all odds. Just do it. Pay it forward.

On the autistic spectrum and having a dazzling array of learning challenges to this day, I have lived most of my life openly gay in North Dakota. Openly gay in military. Two Bronze Stars, one with a "V" for Valor (Vietnam). Professionally successful and now happily retired. Addict in recovery 45+ years, convicted felon with one trip to prison in 1979. PTSD from childhood abuse, sexual abuse and Vietnam War. I survived and flourished against all odds. Just getting started with success.

I now have Parkinson's. It is very managable because I am so busy mentoring, writing and studying each day. In addition to so many hobbies.

Now at age 75, as a volunteer, my life is dedicated to mentoring addicts in the principles and skills needed to succeed in the world as it is. To change the world by changing ourselves. A lifelong commitment to learning, changing and growing. To seek commonality and build on that. To foster mutual and enjoyable relationships based on love, honesty, open-mindedness and willingness. To learn the most from the person who is most different from me and disagrees with me the most. To find unity in diversity. Most importantly remember that I do not know what I do not know and creatively live in that freedom.

I love you! I thank you! I need you!