Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.

The first woman that influenced my life was Gloria Steinam who came to my high school when I was a sophmore. She spoke to us with this soothing yet firm voice that we could do anything we set our minds to.

Another woman that influenced me even earlier was Sally Ride, the first NASA astronaut. I admired that she’d shattered the class ceiling at NASA. One of my first papers was on her in grade school.

Someone else that I admired growing up was my sweet & kind orchestra teacher. Who truly cared for us as students. She was stoic but tough & made me an excellent cello player.

I currently admire women that are strong enough to be independent even in a relationship. That works hard so all women can have it better. I currently volunteer with an all women’s organization helping people with early on set dementia.

Who is a WOman that inspires you?

Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

I played the cello for 8 years & did open mic in my 20’s & 30’s. Being on stage with my cello helped me overcome my stage fright.

I really enjoy reading my own work & getting feedback on it. I also attended the weekly slam night in Seattle.

I really enjoy gauging what the audience likes. I can hear on applause if the audience was into what I read & if they liked it.

I haven’t done a reading of my work since 2017. I think it’s important to read your work out loud as it changes how you view it.

Also, by being with your audience you learn what they take from it & how you may change someone’s view simply by reading out loud.

Have you ever changed someone’s mind by reading out loud?

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

If someone owns their mistake rather than putting the blame on someone else. That’s something I truly admire, or call out a liar by quoting their lies.

Being kind when others are hostile is also something I admire. By being kind you’re the bigger person in the situation.

When I witness people being kind when they’ve heard disparaging stories that aren’t true, that’s something I admire. It means they’re adult enough to draw their own conclusion.

What really bothers me are adults that lie about who you are or what you’re doing. That invent stuff that only stupid people would believe.

I find that really immature & tackless. In this day & age there are bigger things to worry about.

Hence, why I admire people that are mature enough to ignore the lies & make their own conclusion.