From 1971 onwards the Memorial Day holiday was officially observed on the last Monday in May and became the unofficial start of the summer with barbecues blockbuster movie openings and mattress sales.

The upheavals of adolescence silenced 'A Christmas Carol' for a few years. I became a firebrand atheist. Christmas - humbug! Too commercial! Then I became an agnostic. Christmas was a pro-forma affair basically a chore. Buy mother a book dad a new tie my brother and sister small gifts. Pretend thanks for the fountain pens and shirts I received.

I became a lesbian because of women because women are beautiful strong and compassionate.

If I became a philosopher if I have so keenly sought this fame for which I'm still waiting it's all been to seduce women basically.

I'm a jewelry girl. I became with friends with designer Irene Neuwirth a few years ago. At that point I just used to wear my wedding rings. Very low key. Now if I could I'd be draped from head to toe in her jewelry all the time. Everything she makes is beautiful.

The Sandinista government became consumed with fighting a war of survival. They were up against the biggest superpower in the world.

We were succeeding. When you looked at specifics this became a war of attrition. We were winning.

During the Cold War we were interested because we were scared that Russia and the United States were going to go to war. We were scared that Russia was going to take over the world. Every country became a battleground.

The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our culture like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas and like those holidays beyond their meaning a factor in our economy.

I became a Republican because I trust people more than I trust government.

I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself with a small group of friends I could trust.

The slogan was 'Don't trust anyone over thirty'. Sixty years later the slogan became 'Don't trust anyone over ninety'.

I grew up skateboarding it was fun. I didn't think about money I didn't know how much professional skateboarders made. I just knew that if I became a professional skateboarder I would achieve a lot and get to travel and do these great things.

Through travel I first became aware of the outside world it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.

Well I actually first got into music as a small child and as I became a teen I sought out making money from music weather that was singing lounge gigs backup in studios or weddings.

I forced myself to think what is the new concept and it became clear to me that it was risk not only in technology and ecology but in life and employment too.

I am fascinated by all the new technology that creates places for us to meet in what is called cyberspace. I understand what it must have meant for the rebellions in the 19th century especially in 1830 and 1848 when the mass circulated newspaper became so important for the spreading of information.

Writing became an obsessive compulsive habit but I had almost no money so I thought about being an urban firefighter and having lots of free time in which to write or becoming an English teacher and thinking about books and writers on a daily basis. That swayed me.

It would be a joy for me if someone who was working with me became a big success.

While I was doing stand-up I thought I knew for sure that success meant getting everyone to like me. So I became whoever I thought people wanted me to be. I'd say yes when I wanted to say no and I even wore a few dresses.

After I won the Oscar my salary doubled my friends tripled my children became more popular at school my butcher made a pass at me and my maid hit me up for a raise.

When I learnt to write I became my own master I became very strong and that strength is with me to this very day.

Something called 'the Oklahoma Standard' became known throughout the world. It means resilience in the face of adversity. It means a strength and compassion that will not be defeated.

The last few years I became a lot more into sports. Growing up the sports I liked were independent sports like skateboarding. I was really into skateboarding and not necessarily team televised sports.