| Mark Edward |

Give respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due. — Rom 13:7 AMPL

First, a big shout out and a heart-felt THANK YOU to Dr. Warren Leslie Heckman.

Extraordinary mentor since dirt was created, and to Mrs. Heckman. Honored to know them since 2003.

“Dr. Warren” is originally from FRIEND, Nebraska!!

Dr. Warren Heckman
2005
Palm Springs, California

His kind words spoken to me from New York City late one night in October of 2011 — after my call awakened him from a deep slumber — is where this site derived it’s original and unusual name:

“Mark! No worries! I’d Rather Talk to You than Sleep!“

Sir, when I am 83 I want to be as suave and cool as you.

Dr. Warren Heckman
2020
Palm Springs, California.

I can’t put into words what you’ve done for me as a husband, father, leader, and mentor.

You always (yes — always) have a word in due season.

A Word of Wisdom. A Word of Knowledge.

All with laughter.

Our History

Original Logo January 2014
The Grunge Look.
Thankfully, We Only Kept Grunge Look 4 months.

Thanks to prodding from Brenton Robert Miles and Taylor Adam Welch, this site originally launched as I’d Rather Talk to You Than Sleep™ at WordPress.com – on January 4, 2014.

Our Second Logo, Back on WordPress (2014)

In 2017, we migrated to our own domain, and shortened our name to I’d Rather Talk™.

Also in 2017, we sharpened our focus, and my mentoring and coaching began to revolve around the 12 topics guys ask me about the most:

October of 2019 brought the launch of I’d Rather Talk’s Podcast geared toward Millenials and NetGens.

Known simply by our domain name, we cast on 9 platforms and feature many of the young men with whom we have journeyed as our co-hosts.

Authentic :: Real :: Unrehearsed :: One Take.

The Fellow Mentors Summit

In 2023, I’d Rather Talk is hosting our 3rd Fellow Mentors Summit™.

By invitation only, The Fellow Mentors Summit is designed for young men who are:

Actively Mentoring, or Seeking to Mentor
Have proven they possess the Heart, Habits, and Actions of a Mentor
Are “seasoned” in my Circle for a number of years
Are looking to take their mentoring skills to the next level.

Limited exclusively to 5 young mentors, The Fellow Mentors Summit is a 4 day, 3 night Intensive Training in a casual Roundtable environment along Tampa Bay.

Once candidates arrive, they incur no additional costs.

I’d Rather Talk covers all expenses while at the event. We enjoy an amazing Airbnb, meals, and outings.

I may share a few wisdom nuggets gained from my 40 year mentoring journey, but the essence of the week-end is that we learn from each other.

One Should Mentor Alone.

We mentor together. We have each others back as we Mentor.

Along with the Forums, guys still enjoy down time for R&R along Tampa Bay. This year, 5 young men from 5 states will be participating.

I am excited that one of the young men who has journeyed with me for 15 years will also be facilitating a forum with me this year.

The concept of raising up other mentors has been in my man soul and on my bucket list since 2012. I am overjoyed to see this multigenerational, coaching event come to fruition.

The children of these young men will be see the light of the year 2,100. So will the children of those they mentor.

We must pass on what we know to future Generations.

(Sunset on Davis Islands during the Summit)

So Back to the Shout Outs…

A second big shout out to a few of my PEERS…

Us guys over 40 (uh, some over 50)…at times, we have stuck together like Gorilla glue.

During seasons of life, like the tide of the ocean, we roll in and out of one another’s daily lives (as equally important and appreciated).

There are God-ordained seasons for some friendships and if we don’t value the “seasonal” ones too, we are really missing out.

Our best years are ahead, gentleman!!

Michael Jaroslaw Luzecky.
We’ve been brothers, like Jonathan and David.
Mike is a Part of my Lifelong Inner Circle
Since 1983.

You have made the journey over the past 40 years of manhood so much more fulfilling:

Duane G. Stahl (since 1975)
Dennis Lynn (“Denny”) Kochheiser (1975)
Mark James Greenwalt (1975) (Mark passed away, June 19, 2015, age 54)
Micah Lee Sanderson (1977 – I asked God for you for 7 years)
Brian Wesley Johnson (1978 – I wish I knew where you are now)
Charles “Chuck” Crawford (1979 – my ‘older’ road brother)
David Kistler (1979 – my other ‘older’ road brother – when you turned 30 I thought you were SO old. I bought my Olds Cutlass because I admired your Olds Cutlass.)
James Allen ‘Prince Charles’ McCombs (1981)
Stephen Marshall Barnes (1982)
Timothy Jon Haugen (1983)
Michael Jaroslaw Luzecky (1983)
Don Luzecky (1984)
Stephen Steinmann (1983)
Kirk Russell (1983)
Bruce Alan Abkes (1984)
RayGene Wilson (1984)
Kelly Thomas Ballard (1984)
Kenneth Turner (1984 – My brutha from another mutha)
John Mark Sneed (1984)
Russell Coulton (1984
Gary Nice (1984)
John Sommer (1985)
Craig Sipes (1985)
William Napoli (1985)
Randy “Chip” Garmon (1986)
Rusty Buxton (1986)
Kent Peterson (1986)
Eric Peterson (1986)
Stephen Eric Yoder (1987, my college roommate)
Brian Thomas Jones (1987, my other college roommate)
James Owen Bristow (1988)
Jeffrey Arthur Bankson (1988)
Mick Richardson (1988)
Nic Mihailoff (1988)
Henry Darin Ridge (1989)
David Joel Ledbetter (1990)
Joel David Deloy (1991)
Frank Leghart (1991)
Lou Arturo (1991)
Kevin Leigh Holt (1991)
Craig Geis (1991)
Patrick Cameneti (1991)
David Pruben (1991)
Matthew Cushman (1992)
Brian Paul Cumberland (1995)
David Daniel Talkington (1997)
Jeffrey Potter (1998)
Jeffrey E. Walker (2000)
Robert K. Huxtable (2000)
Jeremy Sean Carroll (2000)
Douglas Aikin (2000)
Ron Sherwin (2000)
Scott Gilbert (2001)
Marcus Oral Ruffin (2002)
Dwayne LeSassier (2003)
David W. Creech (2005) (David passed January 19, 2019 age 56)
Jon Philip VanDyne (2005)
Michael Land (2005)
David C. Torgeson (2008)
Mitchell Dayton McKenzie (2008)
Don M. Headlee (2008)
Brad D. Danzak (2008)
Robert Meyer (2009)
Lance Edward Welch (2009, great middle name)
Robert Lewis Mueller (2009)
Michael Wayne Goodrich (2018)

That’s a healthy list of Baby Boomers and Gen X’s there, LOL.

Stephen Eric Yoder, Brian Thomas Jones
Dec 7, 1988
(The Night of My First Date With Jamie)

Hmm. Looking at the Boomer and Gen X list above…

What happened between 2009 and 2018?

Truth is, I’ve been hanging out with the Millenials and Gen Z’s much more since 2009.

I am certainly forgetting someone.

It’s late. I should be sleeping.

But I’m talking to you.

Devin Robert Mueller, David Camden Mueller, Jordan Daniel Mueller,
Robert Lewis “Bishop Cardinal” Mueller (their Dad)
It’s an Indescribable Honor to be Friends with Multiple Generations

I had that equal honor with Taylor Adam Welch, Logan Edward Welch, and their Dad, Lance Edward Welch.

A third Big Shout Out to the younger Generation X’s, Millenials, and Gen Z’s with whom I have Crossed Paths…

…too many to list really, but here goes, in no particular order:

Matthew Thomas Curtis,

Michael Andrew Klemm,

Paul Adam McGrath,

Kelly Brandon Flood,

Adam Hayes,

Jeremiah Partyke,

Justin Tolman,

Justin Garret Burnett,

Andrew VanOmmerman,

Brandon Lewis,

Brian Bulger,

Phillip Bulger,

Joseph Patrick Bulger,

Brian Jenkins,

David Camden Mueller,

Devin Robert Mueller,

Jordan Daniel Mueller,

Marine Major Cameron Allen Hubbard,

Carson Bennett Davis,

Cassidy Drew Mitchell,

Chris Brewer,

Christopher Michael Rudolph,

Joseph Keil,

Daniel Lindstrom,

Christopher Andrew Strock,

Dane Richard Mohrmann,

Ian Sullivan,

Dave Martin,

David Womelsdorf aka DWOM,

Derek Schmidley,

Geary Bush,

Ian Casler,

Jason Warfield,

John Quinton Loftis,

Rush Loftis,

John Caleb Prior,

Jordan West,

Joshua Wilmoth,

Michael Dameron,

Michael Garland,

Michael Loftis,

Michael Luzecky (JR),

Robert Meyer,

Sean Leghart,

Stephen Maddox,

Swayne Loftis,

Brenton Robert Miles,

Taylor Adam Welch,

Thomas Cantrell,

Timothy Alan Schellen,

Timothy Andrew Webb,

Tyler Batten,

Tyler Miller,

Tyler Kyle Patterson,

Vince Chapman,

Zach O’Conner,

Daniel Christopher Deal,

Bryant Michael Urich,

Dustin Langston,

Airman Edward Aaron Massengill,

Christopher “Redshirt” Marichal,

Joshua Daniel Loya,

Jose Jesus Romero,

Airman Jonathan Albert Bell,

Air Force Phoenix Raven Nathan Lawrence Ouellette

Logan Edward Welch,

Evan Roe,

Andrew Charles Borden,

Cameron Murphy Manning,

Andrew Charles Whitt,

Trevor Montgomery Hannah,

Scott Milne,

Russell Lee Terry,

Timothy Bailey,

Robert Wilson,

Nevin John Averganzado Fajardo,

Sean Michael Bidell,

Bradley Michael Starling,

Benjamin Sanchez,

Timothy Robert Scherer,

Gabriel Enriquez Moran,

Mark Alan Calhoun,

Zachary Alan Cochran,

Zachary Carrier,

Pablo Alberto Llamas Correa

Nathan Mora,

Robert Michael Neal,

Nate Calvert,

Mirazul “Zeus” Nessa

Aaron Neil Hamilton,

Tanner Blake William “Olson” Pabst,

Nolan William Hammer,

Sherman Corey Hackett,

Isaac Timothy Plentl…

Jayson Szymaszek,

Aaron Jeffrey Ammon,

Alex Cole Gaston,

Chase Austin Butler,

Manny Madrid,

Jon Alex,

Christopher Roy Cheers,

Caleb Andrew Walker,

This is off the top of my head – I’m sure there are more – didn’t miss ya on purpose.

Playing Keys in the Big House with Brenton Robert Miles
Easter, Several Years Back
We Led 16,000 in Worship That Weekend.

Maybe we have shared a platform, played music together, survived Call Centers, or we are simply casual acquaintances through a mutual friend.

Regardless, I so respect the gifts of God inside of each of you.

Others of you have been in our Mentoring Circles.

Some of you are young men with whom I am honored to journey; many like younger brothers, some like spiritual sons or adopted sons.

Like family.

Playing Keys, Sunday Nights
Back in the Day
James River Church

We have raved about God and His goodness and found answers in His Word, often, after midnight.

Talking instead of Sleeping (thus, our original name).

Each of you shall fulfill all He has created you to do.

ALL of it.

Each of you has a place carved into my heart that belongs to you.

A Well that belongs specifically to you.

No one can take that away.

We are loyal.

Bonded.

Thicker Than Thieves.

Guys, Time is Flying.

It’s time to kick it into High Gear.

Run Your Race.

Jamie, Haley Bell, Marine Major Cameron Allen Hubbard
We Had the Pleasure of Counseling & Marrying them in 2013.

I have journeyed with Cameron since he was 19, in 2008.

Besides Warren, a fourth big shout out to my other 12 Mentors.
My dad, Edward … (since, uh, 1963) and the other mentors in my life…

…who have demonstrated throughout the last ½ century that they would rather talk to me than sleep:

Donald Eugene Horstick (1979, my first “road” dad. Donald passed May 9, 2003, age 65)
Miriam Louise Horstick Fornshell (1979 my “road” mom. Miriam passed in Aug 16 2020 – I lead her Memorial)
Donald Lee Johnson (1983, my second “road” dad – he taught me to breathe diesel & look waaaaay down the road. Don passed January 26, 2019, age 78 and 11 months)
Roger Dean Williams (1984, encouraged me to leave the road & move to Broken Arrow. I met my wife there. The rest is history. Roger passed, June 5, 2018, age 75)
Douglas Edward Jones (1999, an insightful guide through ministry twists and turns)
Pamela Jean Conners (1989, one of my female Business / Leadership Mentors)
John Richard Longley (1989, Business and Marriage/Family Mentor)
Michael Timothy Conners (1989, Business / Leadership Mentor)
Bob Pickett (1983, Creative, Musical, Leadership Mentor)
Bonnie (my mom who mentored me musically)
Mabel (my grandmother- Passed November 1997)

Whose distinct and individual leadership styles shaped me, and whose godly influence upon me was and is immeasurable. Priorities, How to Juggle a Million To Do Items, Patience, Doing the Hard Thing. All That.

Whose offices, homes, and cars I have sat in for hours.

Whose cell minutes I have burned.