Nathan Bowen

About me:

I am a practicing Hindu. I used to be an Assembly of God Christian, but adopted Hinduism as my religion that I practice in 2004 after a lot of prayer, studying (not just Hinduism, but many other religions and denominations), and searching.

Some of my hobbies include writing (poems, short stories, stories, lyrics, plays), playing flute (classical/European flute...to be exact), reading, listening to music, and collecting things (I have a few collections like tiger items...not actual tigers, but things like plush toys, pictures, figurines, etc). I'll admit I am a person with many interests and love learning or doing new things and expanding my awareness and perspective on the world.

I am a trained pharmacy technician. I have decided to go back to school in the fall and begin accounting courses. I have worked in many places. I have worked in retail as a cashier and sales associate/clerk as well as a stock person. I have worked in customer service both for a mobile/wireless/cell phone company and also for a credit card company...both were over the telephone. I have worked as an inventory specialist/auditor. I have worked fast food at Braum's..a regional ice-cream and dairy store and restaurant. I have worked for my dad at his used car lot in the office...answering phones, filing papers, entering information into the computer, helping customers, etc. And I've worked in a pharmacy as a pharmacy clerk (the difference between a pharmacy clerk and a pharmacy technician is that a pharmacy clerk stocks the store shelves and runs the cash register...a technician does inventory in the back of the pharmacy, enters customer data into the computer, prints labels, fills the prescriptions, and assists the pharmacists as needed...in a hospital this can include making IVs, filling medicine machines at nursing stations, etc).

Currently I live in Enid, OK helping care for my mom who is recovering from breast cancer and helping my sister with my 4y/o neice.

I'm gay, but it doesn't really define me. I mean, I'm proud to be gay, but I am not a major bar/club going guy and not all my activities are centered around the fact that I am gay.

I am the founder of the PFLAG Enid group as well as the Enid UU group. PFLAG Enid has subgroups such as the Rainbow Youth Alliance Network, Tmosaic, B-yourself, and CAMOUFLAGE. The Enid UU is also something I started and we meet every week on Saturday. I also started the Enid Voice, Enid GLBT Pride Association, Enid GLBT Business Association, SAGE Enid, and the Enid GLBT Community Center group...among other organizations as well. And I am involved in the Garfield County Democrats and also a supporting member of CrossWalk United Church, UCC...an open and affirming, open minded, congregation of the United Church of Christ that is developing right here in Enid, OK! (FYI: United Church of Christ is the same denomination of Barack Obama...not to be confused with the denomination "Church of Christ"...the two are different denominations and VERY different theologically, philosophically, etc).

Besides going to the OKC Hindu and OKC Vedic Temples I also have participated at the OKC Sikh Gurdwara and the OKC Mindessence Zen Center. What can I say, I find God everywhere in all religions and spiritual paths! :)

I am co-leader of the Progressive Hindu Association which was founded by my friend Gadadhar Das who started the Enid Gita Satsang...the group that is a part of the Sanctuary Meditation Center of which I also participated in...the satsang that introduced me to Hinduism. And while the Enid Gita Satsang is no longer a functioning satsang, I also organize and lead the Enid Lotus Satsang. I am also a member of the Mata Devi Math, also founded by Gadadhar Das

I have been blessed to have met Sri Amritanandamayi (Amma) in Dallas in 2006 and 2007 and on my page you'll notice a place where you can donate to her organization that helps all her humanitarian charities that she supports. Her organization supports orphanages, schools for the poor, hospitals for the poor, a university for the poor, building homes for the poor and those that suffered from the 2004 tsunami, helping provide food for the foodless, shelter for the homeless, and helping in many other ways. After Hurricane Katrina she donated millions of dollars and her satsangs across the US organized to help families displaced. They provided the families with homes, jobs, cars, etc...all which was paid from donations from the Amma organization. The satsangs also worked with other religious and secular organizations that were working with families to help those families, too. Amma helps everyone regardless of their religion, caste, gender, age, etc. So if you want to help support her organization, please click on the link below with her picture on it. I also have been blessed to hear Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda speak here in OKC and he is now building an ashram here.

My passions are human rights, social justice, religion and spirituality...as well as religious tolerance, environmentalism, and politics. As well as studying languages, cultures, geography, and history. I currently have studied or am studying the following languages: French (2yrs), Spanish (2yrs), Russian (1yr), Hebrew (1yr), Welsh (1yr), Chinese (read only; 1yr), Hindi (currently learning).