| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I have fond memories of sitting at the feet of my grandpa as he would read from the Bible and sing gospel songs. Christmastime family reunions were the greatest, as my crazy aunts and uncles were added to the mix, all of them theatrical storytellers. With each passing year the legendary family stories were recited around the camp fire, the comic timing, the exaggerated parts, the detailed character studies enjoyed by all present as if it was the most supreme entertainment in all the universe. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My sister. She is my best friend, though as is typical among siblings, we fought as kids. We have taken similar, off-the-beaten path routes in life, we are both comedians who riff off one another, and we share more progressive, open-minded values and beliefs than other members of our family. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | The traits I admire most are: sense of humor, nonconformity, compassion, resiliency, and imagination. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Well, I spent a summer once at a spiritual ashram called 'Yogaville' where I learned about and practiced 'Laughter Yoga.' Basically, it's a group of adults who sit around and laugh for no reason whatsoever, reminding ourselves of the knowledge that existence is all one big cosmic joke, and that we should feel rapturous joy from the mere fact of being alive. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would travel to South Africa, because Nelson Mandela's fight against apartheid plucks at my heartstrings; I would travel to Bhutan, whose government takes a dig at modern, Western society by implementing 'Gross National Happiness' as a philosophy for measuring the well-being of its citizens, rather than the typical GNP (gross national product); I would travel to Japan, to experience authentic Zen, sushi, and karaoke : ) |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | A sense of adventure. Empathy-the ability to step into another person's shoes and walk around in them. Nuanced understanding of complicated worldly problems/issues. Passion-for whatever it is they might be passionate about! |
