So, who am I?
My name is Craig Metzger. At my core, I am a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. My family is my greatest joy, and I am proud to say that my children and grandchildren are extraordinary and unbelievably talented. I am married to the most amazing woman I have ever met. We actually dated in high school back in the late ’80s, and although life took us in different directions for a time, we eventually reconnected. It was—and still is—magical. After two decades apart, we simply clicked, and it has been an incredible journey ever since.
Professional Life: By trade, I am a Software Engineer almost 30 years of experience in the industry, currently serving as a Lead Application Engineer for a Fortune 500 company. I have spent a quarter-century specializing as a PICK engineer and developer, working with flavors such as UniData, jBase, D3, and Power95. My technical background also includes VB.Net, C#, C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python. Currently, I am in the midst of a major skill set transition, moving from the world of PICK to SAP. On the personal side of my professional persona, I am also in the midst of learning Flutter and Dart. While I take pride in my work, software engineering is simply what I do, not who I am.
The Martial Arts Journey: My passion for martial arts began in the early 1970s when a neighbor introduced me to Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate-Do. It was a convenient arrangement: he taught me karate while my mother, a dance instructor, taught his daughter dance. When he eventually moved, I seized every opportunity to train in other styles, including American Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wing Chun, and Taijiquan.
By age 30, I had earned black belts in Matsubayashi-Ryu and Taekwondo, along with instructor certification in Wing Chun. Upon moving to Delaware in 2001, I expanded my practice to include Xingyi Quan and Neidan (Internal Cultivation), while deepening my understanding of Taijiquan and Qigong. During this time, I also had the distinct pleasure of studying briefly with the Kwan Um School of Zen. While that experience was profound, my spiritual interests eventually turned toward Daoism, a subject I have spent the last 20+ years exploring—though I admit I have barely scratched the surface.
Amateur Radio: I am also an active Amateur Radio Operator (Ham). This is a relatively new pursuit for me, sparked about a year ago when the local Amateur Radio Club asked my wife to lead a STEM club at her school. Initially, I dismissed Ham radio as just “CBs with more power.” I was happily proven wrong.
Once I discovered the depth of the hobby—from satellite communications and Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) to Skywarn and RF experimentation—I was hooked. I earned my license and now operate under the call sign KE2GNU.
Creative Pursuits & Literature: Beyond the dojo and the radio shack, I have a deep appreciation for Chinese Calligraphy (shūfǎ) and ink wash painting (shuǐmòhuà). I am also an avid consumer of stories, whether through movies, television, or books. My reading list is eclectic, favoring political fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. Favorites include Sinclair Lewis’s It Can’t Happen Here, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, Ming-Dao Deng’s The Wandering Taoist, and Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth. I also follow several series, including Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files and Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time.
One day, I hope to join the ranks of these authors and publish my own fantasy story. When I do, I intend to write under the pen name C. Thomas Metzger. Why the change? I feel “C. Thomas” has a certain professional flow and memorability that “Craig” lacks on a book cover. Mostly, however, I just prefer it.
To check out a few more of my favorite books, check out the link to my favorite books.
What’s in a Name…
As you have read, my name is Craig, but it was almost very different. My Mother wanted to name me Thomas Vincent Metzger III. My Father, having suffered the nickname “Tommy,” refused to let me endure the same fate; he had other torments in mind. He actually wanted to name me Wolfgang Von Metzger, but my mother simply wouldn’t have it. They decided to compromise and settled on Craig Thomas, a name I have carried for over 50 years; talk about torment. Oh! Did you think Wolfgang was the torment I was referring to? If so, then you don’t know me very well… yet!
This focus on names continued when I began dabbling in the fine arts of Chinese ink wash painting. Traditionally, artists in this genre sign their work with a stone seal, or “chop” (yìn), used with cinnabar paste to leave a distinct red mark. I knew I wanted one for my artwork, but I faced a hurdle: I didn’t have a Chinese name, and I didn’t want to just “pick” one that might sound pretentious or culturally incorrect. To solve this, I hired Good Characters, Inc., a professional naming service. After months of correspondence regarding my history and interests, we settled on the name Mèng Xíxuán [孟習玄]. I then commissioned a hand-carved stone seal from Asian Brushpainter, and now, every piece of art I create carries this personal stamp.
As an Amateur Radio Operator, I also hold a legal call sign assigned by the FCC. It is every bit as legally binding on the air as my name is on paper. My call sign is KE2GNU, phonetically spelled as “Kilo – Echo – Two – Golf – November – Uniform”.
So, there you have it. My name is Craig Thomas Metzger; just Craig to my family and friends; C. Thomas Metzger, if I ever get published; Mèng Xíxuán (孟習玄) on my artwork; and KE2GNU when I am on the air. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.
