What is one trend from your teenage years you wish would come back?
None. It was the 80s, man. Painful times. It was a time of parachute pants, mullets, and leg warmers. Can’t think of a single trend.
If you could spend one day in the life of any fictional character, who would you choose?
Gandalf. For him, it’s more about the big picture. At no point does he ever lose hope.
What is one word you use to describe yourself?
Loyal.
What is something a lot of people don’t know about you?
I trained as a goldsmith and a jeweller.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
This. I’ve been pursuing this pretty much since high school.
What is one thing you believed as a college student that you still believe today?
You have to own your education. It’s not up to professors or anybody to give it to you. They’re there as a resource, but at the end of the day, you own your education.
What is one thing you believed as a college student that you have since changed your mind about?
I no longer believe in the works of Ayn Rand. I don’t think Objectivism has any realistic value.
What is one memory from your childhood that stands out to you?
I had a very unique childhood because I’m a hemophiliac. Because of the time I grew up in, I spent the majority of my childhood in the hospital. I don’t have the same kind of memories that a lot of kids have. Because of what hemophilia does and the dangers it presented, back then, I never did boy scouts or played sports. My childhood was very different from most people.
What is the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
A Halcyon enamel box. It had a portrait of Charles Dickens on it, which is one of my favorite authors. That, and my violin that my grandmother gave me, and my tattoo from my eldest son. Those are probably the three most special gifts I’ve been given.
What is one of the nicest things one of your students has said to you?
That’s a daily occurrence. I guess, one of them has said that I’m very approachable and that they can talk to me about almost anything.
Who is one playwright you think is underrated?
Horton Foote. He wrote the screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird. However, he has written some incredible plays.
How would you spend $1 million?
I would buy myself a Ford F-150, an Indian Vintage Dark Horse motorcycle, and the rest I’d set aside for my kids.
What is one memory with your kids that is special to you?
It’s different for each kid. With my eldest son, he did the tattoo on my arm. With my eldest daughter, it would be just playing the guitar with her. With my youngest son, we occasionally play Minecraft and video games together. With my youngest daughter, she’s gotten interested in jewelry.
Does your tattoo have special meaning?
My eldest son was bugging me about a birthday present. Finally, I said, ‘Fine, give me one of your tattoos.’ He came up with the design of a kitsune, which is a mythological Japanese fox. He chose the white kitsune, which is a wise old fox. Each of the flames represents one of his siblings. The seven tails represent that my son Nicholas, myself, and my youngest son Ryan were all born in July.
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
I oil paint and I pastel paint. I was also trained as an opera singer.
If you could be in the Guinness Book of World Records, what would it be for?
Breaking the land speed record in a car.
What is one piece of advice you try to impart to your students?
Live simply, live humbly, forgive always. Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no, and make no promise you cannot keep.