| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | Without a doubt, my most memorable childhood experience is going to the snow cone lady. When I played youth football I would always be treated after the game to a tiger’s blood snow cone at the snow cone lady’s stand. These trips to the stand were filled with love, laughing, and family. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | My mother's mother and I are strikingly similar. Sharing a passion for nature and healthy living, we often find ourselves facetiming (or better yet hanging out if I am home for a holiday) to talk about our latest research into the world of sleep or diet. These conversations have cultivated a deeply similar passion for reading on this topic and seeded dialogue for deeper topics on philosophy. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | Communication skills and a willingness to be open to change are, I believe, the key attributes in any positive relationship. If one is communicative, they can share ideas that lead the other interlocuter to a better understanding of their viewpoint. If this is matched with a willingness to hear opposing viewpoints and change one's mind, the foundations of any other positive attribute can be built. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | The funniest thing that's ever happened to me was during the very first show I did as a DJ for my late night FM show. A friend and I run a philosophy talk show on late night FM radio every Sunday and enjoy it greatly. However, the first time that I got onto air I was extremely nervous and unprepared to run the DJ board for a talk show, as I had only been trained by music show DJs. As we got into the booth, I got settled in and began to converse with my cohost. Once my nerves settled down, I was feeling positive about the way the show was going and when the 30 minute ad break came around, I took a sigh of relief. During this sigh of relief I checked my phone to see if anything important had come through. To my dismay, I had a text from my girlfriend asking "Why is the air silent? Is your show on another night?" I had forgotten to turn the microphones on. Completely embarrassed and trying to shake it off, I cut the ads and finally came on the air for the real first time. My co-host and I still laugh and laugh about that moment when we think back. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would be very pleased were I given the opportunity to travel to sites of the greatest ancient philosophers. Rome, Greece, and Germany for certain, but we should not forget the brilliant philosophy that has come out of India and China as well. I believe there is something to experience of beauty and philosophy and thus I would attempt to create a piece of artwork out of life, with travel being integral to my piece. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | If I could pass one thing on to my future children, it would be the ability to inquire and express themselves freely. I think it is essential to the progress of our collective human race to have inquiring minds, unrestricted in their realm of questions (indeed this is often how we get the greatest change i.e., Newton and Einstein). As for their expression, I wish solely that my children live freely, happily, and accepting of others and the situation they are in. |
