Things You Didn’t Know About Me

My life started out all right, but later on my childhood became bitter and violent. I left home when I was seventeen.

I left Canada for Israel. A different language, culture, climate, everything. I call it ‘changing your fate’. I don’t know if I would have been happier had I stayed in Canada, but that’s water under the Rideau bridge.

At university I was a terrible student. Barely made it through my B.Sc. It caused me to stop believing in marks.

I wanted to be a musician and children’s book author, but didn’t have the guts so I became a scientist and inventor.

That turned out well. As a university professor I published many articles, became an expert in my field (bad breath diagnosis and treatment) and invented a few gizmos that are still produced. But it wasn’t from my heart.

In my 40’s I went back to playing music and singing in my forties, and in my 50’s started writing for children with added resolve.

I suffered from agoraphobia for many years. I couldn’t lecture in front of students. I couldn’t take elevators. I avoided flying. But when I got better I flew and flew and flew. I was a gold card member on BA.

When you climb out of the well, the sky is very colorful indeed.

Today I love to lecture, teach, appear on TV. But once that was all impossible. You wouldn’t know by looking at me, though.

My life was changed by the elective courses I took as an undergraduate and graduate student. I believe in unanticipated electives. That is why I try so hard to give interesting elective courses.