By “popular demand”, I figured it would be nice to supply some basic information about “who I am” — namely, all the personal “favorites” that make Scaughdt/Scott the unique man he has chosen to be …

Of course, I do so at the risk of encouraging you to “gaze upon the finger instead of the moon to which it points”, and yet that is a challenge I cannot remove whether I share this information with you or not.  Indeed, though you might find the following entertaining, I would enCourage you to look past its intrigue and focus primarily of The Message I have come to share:  namely, that the most potent path to personal fulfillment (what some call “happiness”) is the Way of Selfless LOVE — a lifestyle focused upon serving others in as many moments as possible, with no desire for personal reward, reimbursement, or recognition.

And yet, for those of you who might otherwise spend some of your life’s priceless moments searching for the answers to the following questions, I provide those answers now — noting that other similar questions are answered in this website’s Q&A’s page:

“What is a Peace Pilgrim?” … Unlike a traditional pilgrim who journeys to a particular destination for personal spiritual reasons, a Peace Pilgrim dedicates his or her entire life to traveling wherever he or she can be of most benefit to others.  While the pilgrim awakens his or her own caring True Self, the Peace Pilgrim inspires others to awaken to the latent altruism residing within them.

“How did you choose to become a Peace Pilgrim?” … After my two+ year “experiment with Truth” on the Big Island of Hawaii (where I made myself the “guinea pig” in a variety of social encounters in order to practically test the implications of “radical kindness” — what some call selflessness), I knew I had to share the potent rediscoveries I made therein with humanity.  While originally not knowing how best to do so, one day in the late summer of 2005 I came across a book written by friends of the Peace Pilgrim (www.peacepilgrim.org).  It described the minimalist-itinerant lifestyle she adopted for 28+ years while spreading her message of peace.  Upon reading this work, I immediately knew that this path (or at least one very much like it) was for me as well.

“Did you experience any epiphanies that helped propel you on this Way?” … I guess so.  We all experience regular insights and “enlightenments” on our respective life journeys, and I am no different in this regard.  And yet, no matter how much I ever “understood” about the selfless way, I didn’t come close to fully comprehending its enormous power until I chose to courageously live its principles.  To “know” something, we can read or research or debate with others.  And yet, to truly comprehend any Truth, we must experience it while we are applying it in our everyday encounters.

“Have you only practiced your Way’s selfless principles as a Peace Pilgrim?” … No.  I have applied the teachings of “the selfless way” (a.k.a. “radical kindness”) as a father, as a son, as a friend, as a lover and as an employee as well — each time and in every environment with similarly effective results.  And I did so not only as part of my “Experiment with Truth” on the Big Island in 2004-2005, but also more recently when I moved to Park City (Utah) in late 2008 and worked 2-4 jobs “to make ends meet” — all the while trying to hold together an unstable romantic relationship.  And yet even in this difficult setting the same principles of selflessness brought Peace to myself and others every time I had the courage to apply them.

“What services have you performed for others as a Peace Pilgrim?” … As long as I can sincerely believe that I can lesson another’s burdens of bring them more joy as a result, simply say “yes” to every request for help that is asked of me (I only turn down such an offer when I reasonable believe that helping another would cause them or others pain).  This has allowed me to perform a number of different services for others over the last several years — everything from caring for children to cleaning basements to landscaping gardens to building labyrinths to washing dishes to editing legal documents to splitting wood to cleaning houses.  Indeed, it doesn’t matter what the task is we engage, as long as we choose to do it joyfully and do it for free then we will be giving the greatest service of all:  demonstrating the Truth that those who give to others get “the better end of the deal” — that giving is not better than receiving, but rather that giving itself is the greatest gift one can give.

“What was your favorite paying job before becoming a Peace Pilgrim?” … For most of 2005, I was blessed to work in the public school system on the Big Island of Hawaii, working with high-needs kindergarten kids and/or helping a troubled 2nd/3rd grader to re-member how to work with his classmates and his teachers.

“Where do you sleep?” … I sleep wherever others offer me a place to stay.  In the beginning of  the journey, these offers were few and far between, and I spent by far most of my nights during a two year period sleeping “on the streets” (mostly on a tennis-court bench).  As word got out about both my travels and my intentions, more and more folks began opening up their guest bedrooms, their carpeted floors and/or their sofas for me to sleep on …

“What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?” … Beauty is a funny concept — it seems to vary according to who is doing the witnessing.  I also happen to be a person who looks for the beautiful wherever I go (a trait that is a potential choice for every person in every moment). As such, I don’t have a single “most beautiful place”, but rather several of them — Mt. Rainier National Park, Ryon-ji Temple in Kyoto (Japan), Lookout Valley (in northwest Georgia), the “deep blue” waters off the coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, the Green Sands Beach (Hawaii), The Grand Canyon, The Napali Coast (Kauai), Prague (Czech Republic), Mildred Lakes (Cascade mountains in Washington), and the Blue Ridge Parkway, to name a few … Indeed, if we but pause long enough to look for Beauty, it is to be found no mater where we happen to be.

“Where would you like to go before you die?” … The entire world intrigues me, and I would feel blessed to travel to any corner of the globe to appreciate its unique beauties, and yet there are a few places I have yet to visit that used to have special appeal to me — Machu Pichu (Peru), White Sands National Monument (New Mexico), the Yucatan Peninsula (and the Mayan ruins there), the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Amazon jungle and Tibet, to name a few … That having been said, even though a mendicant walking tour through India still remains on my “Bucket List”, I am content with what I have been blessed to see in this lifetime, and now onmly wish to serve as many as I can, as powerfully as I can, before I die.

“What possessions do you still own?” … Not many — a few changes of clothes, a hat, a Bible, one book, a laptop , a few USB sticks, onejournals (one from my first months on the Big Island of Hawaii back in 2003-2004), some toiletries and a few pairs of shoes …

“What do you eat?” … I have lived as a vegan since June of 2013, as I don’t wish to cause any harm — directly or indirectly — to any other sentient life (i.e. for me, anything that has eyes, a heart, a brain &/or exhibits an independent self-awareness).  As such, I eat a completely plant-based diet — consisting primarily of non-wheat grains, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and plant-based “dairy” products … As a consequence, I have never been healthier — physically as well as spiritually.

“What are your favorite foods?” … fruit:   almost ripe bananas & avacadoes … vegetable:  spinach or broccoli …  meal:   oat milk, almonds, berries & granola …  cuisine:  Indian or Thai …  drink:  green tea

“What is your favorite personality trait in yourself?” … humility & “radical kindness” (willing self-sacrifice)

“What is your favorite personality trait in others?” … willing self-sacrifice (“radical kindness”) & humility

“What are some of your favorite activities/hobbies?” … taking long walks, speaking/sharing with other people, caring for other living beings, playing with and/or speaking with children, standing in sun-beams, drinking tea, playing hacky-sack, reading, writing, exercising and writing books & essays …

“What is your favorite sport to play?” … Ultimate Frisbee

“What is your favorite sport to watch?” … NBA basketball

“What is the farthest you have ever run/jogged?” … 2-3 miles (while training for my senior year soccer season)

“What is the farthest you have ever swum?” … one mile+ (once in Hawaii, just to see if I could do it)

“What is the farthest you have ever walked?” … 650+ miles (during my 2001 pilgrimahe from Chattanooga to Miami)

“What is the farthest you have ever traveled?” … half-way around the world (several times:  once from Washington DC to Japan in 1985, and a few times from Germany to Hawaii)

“What is your favorite number?” … I really do like them all equally these days, though 8 was my favorite number as a child, and 11 still holds a special place for me currently.

“What is your favorite color?” … any deeper shade of purple, chartreuse (green-yellow) & muntella (orange-yellow)

“What is your favorite animal?” … I am especially fond of dogs & cheetahs (with pigs & cats both holding close in third place).

“What is your favorite tree?” … I love beeches, willows, redwoods &  dogwoods.

“What is your favorite flower?” … I especially like calla lilies and wisteria vines in bloom.

“What is your favorite metal?” … the hint of gold residing within all lumps of lead

“What is your favorite aroma?” … lavender, jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, lilies, white sage, cedar forests & the ocean.

“Who was your favorite pet?” … I had a dog-companion named Billy back in the early 90’s.  He was incredibly smart and packed a lot of attitude into his miniature-poodle body … I was blessed with another dog companion thereafter named Nooka; a girl who was as gentle as she was beautiful.

“What is your favorite personal saying?” … “Goodness Gracious” & “Heavens to Betsy”

“What is your favorite quote?” … “There is no way to Peace.  Peace is the way.” ~ Gandhi

“Who is your favorite poet?” … J. Rumi

“Who is favorite author?” … K. Gibran, Tom Robbins, Berke Breathed & Bill Watterson

“What is your favorite book?” … The Bible (NRSV), The Illustrated Rumi by Coleman Barks, & The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

“Who is your favorite actor?” … Robert Redord, Tim Roth & Brad Pitt

“Who is your favorite actress?” … Drew Barrymore, Frances McDormand, Diane Keaton & Susan Sarandon

“What is your favorite movie?” … “Hero”, “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead” & “American Beauty”, to name a few …

“What is your favorite music genre?” … I like almost all of them — having no real favorite.

“Who is your favorite singer/group?” … Underworld, Peter Gabriel & Bach, to name a few …

“What is your favorite song?” … “Let Go” by Yes, “Forgiveness” by Patti Griffin & the entire CD “Passion” by Peter Gabriel, to name a few …

“Who is your favorite artist?” … Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Goldsworthy & Michelangelo

“What is your favorite symbol?” … YinYang & Peace

“What is your favorite TV show?” … I don’t watch much TV any more (so no TV at all is my #1 favorite “show”), but I used to enjoy M*A*S*H, Boston Legal & 30-Rock …

“Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?” … Grover

“Who is your favorite Winnie the Pooh character?” … Pooh for his kindness & Tigger for his zeal for living

“Who is your favorite Star Wars character?” … Yoda for his wisdom & Chewbacca for his loyalty

“What is your favorite time of day?” … early morning

“What is your favorite day of the week?” … they are all the same to me

“What is your favorite month of the year?” … December

“What is your favorite season?” … Autumn

“What is your favorite subject of study?” … Sociology, Psychology & Theology

“Who was your favorite teacher?” … Mrs. McClinton (4th grade), Mrs. Morton (6th grade Math), Ms. Hardy-Ferniany (7th grade), Mr. Parrott (8th grade History), Mr. Dedrick (both my jr. high & high school assistant principal), Mrs. Webber (Algebra II), Mrs. Tolbert (Trigonometry), Mrs. Murphy (Chemistry), Mr. Norton (Psychology), Mrs. Ivey (12th grade English), Mr. Morrow (high school Music), Ms. Bailey (high school Debate), Dan Fader (English – U of M), Jeanne Paul (Writing — U of M), George Nock (Criminal Law — UPS School of Law), James Beaver (Admiralty — UPS School of Law), Dan Capra (Evidence — UPS School of Law), Dan Riggio (Trial Advocacy — UPS School of Law), to name a few …

“Who is your favorite mystic/guru?” … Jesus Christ, St. Francsi of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi & Peace Pilgrim, to name a few.