My middle school years were defined by memorizing every single word off 'License to Ill' and 'Paul's Boutique.'
Looking back at my high school years, I'm struck by how slowly history can move.
I was born in Evanston, Illinois. I spent my elementary and part of my junior high school years in a D.C. suburb. And then I spent my high school years in Minnesota. And then I spent my college years in Colorado. And then I spent some time living in China. And then I spent three years in Vermont before moving down to Nashville.
Football games on Friday nights followed by field parties every weekend was how I spent my high school years.
Back in my high school years, the Hulk was my favorite Marvel character, and I always enjoy drawing him.
I think everyone feels lost at times during their high school years.
I was, if you like, a successful schoolboy in that I had a degree of talent in all the required things that make you a success at school.
Due to financial reasons, I dropped out of school after eight years of formal schooling.
My father was a schoolteacher, and so I had the advantage of both western educational instruction in the school, as well as what you might call the process of imbibing the traditional processes of education instruction around me.
As the daughter of a schoolteacher, I feel very strongly that the most important thing in school takes place right there in that classroom, and the interaction between the teacher and the child.
I usually balance school by doing online classes and regular classes - that has helped me a lot, and I'm able to get my schoolwork done while I'm traveling too.
I am of the school that believes, for the most part, that gays are born and not made. That is, I believe - and there appears to be significant scientific evidence to back me up - that there is a genetic predisposition to be gay.
I don't begrudge a coach for trying to get all that he or she can. I don't resent a school feeling it needs to pay to keep top talent. I'm just afraid to think where all of this will end up because the overall impact seems to be stretching far beyond the scoreboard.
I was always really smart in school. My whole family is smart. We have 'Jeopardy' challenges and have Scrabble tournaments.
I would ditch school if my CD was scratched up or I couldn't get batteries. I wasn't trying to get on the bus and not be listening to music.
When 'Jewel' was screened, old friends from school and university got back in touch. More than one of them told me that their partners hated Merrick so much they could not think of having me in the house. This kind of audience identification does not happen in any other medium.
I've always been a creative person, and I'd always wanted to paint, so I went to art school and began painting and sculpting.
I saw a production of 'The Seagull' at Dallas Theatre Center when I was in high school, and it really did a number on me.
To be able to bring an entire city together is not easy, and we definitely have one thing in common in the city - that's the Tigers. The history of the school is well-noted around town. It is an SEC kind of country with all the SEC schools, but Memphis trumps all of that in the city. I embrace that.
I could have easily gone down the wrong path and dropped out of school, but I was given a second chance.
