Foster Nash

Foster Nash: When you try to describe yourself, it’s like a blind monkey trying to draw himself. You start with the obvious and just scribbling down stuff. I graduated here, I did this, I created that … then you realize ‘Hey, that’s not me anymore!”

OK, then let’s start off with the easy stuff. What was I? I had graduated from College from UC Santa Barbara in Economics and then UCLA Business School and tried my hand at being a CPA in Los Angeles. That is, until I couldn’t stand working in an office anymore.

Then I joined the U.S. Navy, and yes, took a 60% cut in pay. It just seemed the right thing to do. From there I served 22 years active duty, another 12 years as a GS civilian.

You see, I come from a military family. My grandfather, my father, my uncles, my cousins all served in the military. This goes back generations. I’m proud of my family, both military and civilian. They all stood up and served.

In the Navy I drove ships (Electronics Material Officer, Gunnery Officer, Ist LT) then became a logistician, a financial manager, Pentagon staff officer an inspector, etc. After retiring from active-duty Navy, I worked as a Navy civilian and then retired again. Since then, I’ve been a consultant, Advanced EMT working in an ER during COVID. Now I’m an author.

During those years I earned three graduate degrees (MBA, MS in Information Technology, MA in National Security Affairs) and an art degree. Overeducated? Well actually, I just love to learn.

I got to do some unusual things: I drove destroyers in the Persian Gulf, I blew hot glass and learned to draw and paint; I played polo for 14 years and learned to ski (well, I went downhill on skis); swam open ocean races; ran ½ marathons; ran Tough Mudders; tried my hand at riding bulls; hiked the Sierras, Rockies and Appalachians; build a house in Cody Wyoming; raised German Shepherds; and still ride my horse; etc. etc.

That was the easy part. Now it gets tough. Who am I? Yes, it was a long winding road. ‘Who I am’ has changed a lot from ‘who I was’... But, in the end, my path led me here, to Cody Wyoming, to do our Lord’s will.

There are also some important lessons I’ve learned along the way. These were hard lessons. How to forgive, especially myself. How to love unselfishly. And how to find faith in our Lord. My books, subtitled Finding Courage to Forgive, the second book Courage to Love and the final book of the series Courage of Faith, focus on these lessons. If you want to know who I am, I hope you read these books.

By the way, the second should be published by late 2023.