Freedom is control in your own life. I have more control now than in the past, and I'm learning the value of saying no. That's very important.

A lot of country music is sad. I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times. It applies to music. Three chords and the truth - that's what a country song is. There is a lot of heartache in the world.

Well the country songs themselves are three-chord stories, ballads which are mostly sad. If you are already feeling sorry for yourself when you listen to them they will take you to an even sadder place.

I believe that all roads lead to the same place - and that is wherever all roads lead to.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, the color of my skin and my rather peculiar background as an Ethiopian immigrant delineated the border of my life and friendships. I learned quickly how to stand alone.

Your success is in your point of view. It's your life that you're talking about; it's your observations. That's the best lesson that I ever had.

Being a rocker, to me, is equal to living as much of the truth as possible.

At DonorsChoose.org, we believe that classroom teachers often know their students better than anybody else in the system and that their front-line experience gives them a special kind of wisdom.