Myself
(page 4)
I was attracted to opera when I was 15 or 16. A very rich man in England bankrupted himself to put on a lot of opera during the war, but he converted a lot of people, myself included, in the process.
A lot of times when I ran, to be honest, I didn't know where I was in the race. So I always was looking up at the scoreboard to say, 'Just call my name to see where I am', because I tried to have such tunnel vision not to distract myself.
In high school, I had a really difficult time just loving myself. It's weird; I feel like in the world we live in today, you're not supposed to be like, 'I'm beautiful', like that's a conceited thing to say.
When I have a chance to go back to my village, I always remind myself where I came from.
One thing about me is that I'm very much like the Black Madonna. I love to reinvent myself and that's because I am a very free person.
When my wife died, I booked myself into the studio just to work, to occupy myself.
I've made the commitment to Canadians that I'm going to stay myself, and I'm going stay open about it, and I'm going to make sure that the thoughtfulness with which I approach issues continues to shine through.
I don't want to forgive myself. That's why I hate psychoanalysis I think if you're guilty of something you should live with it. Get rid of it — how can you get rid of a real guilt? I think people should live with it, face up to it.
Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.
I don't go long without eating. I never starve myself: I grab a healthy snack.
I'd sometimes go to Paris by myself — it was an easy two-hour train ride — to get a break from the everyday grind, to walk around a big city, ride a subway, feel the energy of a world capital.
Most women would say they relate to 'Hedda Gabler' — there's a part of her in them. Ibsen was writing about a deep ambivalence that many women feel about domesticity. I think about myself and friends of mine — we have some of Hedda's qualities and traits.
I need to keep working on myself for a while.
I've taken the leap of faith to stop punching the company time clock and start working for myself. I'm now the CEO of Starfish Media Group, my production company, in New York City.
Sometimes, I pinch myself. Through everything, its about hard work... believing in yourself and in the American dream. Believe that you can make something out of yourself.
In Van Halen there were moments, like in some of the ballads, I put my heart and soul into those records. Those lyrics when I sang 'em, I gave myself goosebumps.
I dated all these girls and ended up not liking them and thought to myself, 'What was it that all of them had in common?' They had too much time on their hands. Even though they were pretty, they lacked something. A woman could be less attractive but with ambition and drive, that's the most beautiful thing.
I look in the mirror and see a few scars, but I like myself.
I live half the year in Nigeria, the other half in the U.S. But home is Nigeria — it always will be. I consider myself a Nigerian who is comfortable in the world. I look at it through Nigerian eyes.
I do, indeed, close my door at times and surrender myself to a book, but only because I can open the door again and see a human face looking at me.
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