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Dive into some Perspectives about Life's Big Questions

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Quick & Quirky: SoulPancake Interview Taye Diggs (Plus: Win a signed book!)

Taye Diggs' new book, Chocolate Me!, is a children's book with a grown-up message about how Taye learned to embrace his different "flavor" growing up. SoulPancake caught up with Taye to find out exactly how this Private Practice actor and Rent star was the odd person out.

SP: What inspired you to write this book?
Taye: The inspiration for Chocolate Me! came from a time in my life when I lived in a neighborhood where no one looked like me. I was made fun of and realized for the first time in my life what it felt like to 'be different'.

SP: Why do you think we are afraid to be different?
Taye: Fear is a very strong feeling. In many cases, people fear what is not familiar to them. Difference can be scary. A byproduct of this is oftentimes ridicule. We as people should instead aim on reprogramming how we accept ourselves and others and embrace that which is different.

SP: Do you ever still feel like the "odd person out"?
Taye: There always and forever will be times when I feel like the odd man out. Whether it be while in a discussion of unfamiliar politics or a sports team that I don't follow. It could be age or even to this day, a race thing. There's no way everybody at every time can always share familiarity. It's impossible. We don't have to feel bad about it, though.

SP: What are three quirky things about you that make you different?
Taye: Hmm, three quirky things about me that make me different: I sometimes like to make up dances and teach them to friends when I'm out at parties or a nightclub. I was born with 6 fingers on each hand. I had the extra digit removed, but you can see where it was on both my hands. Sounds more gross than it is. And the third? I consider myself a highly sensitive person. I play it off, but I'm a very delicate flower.

SP: What's your life's biggest question?
Taye: My life's biggest question... right now I'm curious as to what kind of adult my son is going to be. I'm confident and hopeful, but very, very curious.

Taye got us thinking... we've each got our own strange, weird differences that make us who we are. So start spilling:

List 3 quirky things that make you different, and tell us how you've embraced them.

Rules: Respond to the creative list activity in a single comment below. You can only enter once. Contest ends Friday, Nov. 18, at 5 p.m. PST. Taye Diggs will select a winner, and the winner will be announced by Wed., Dec. 7. He or she will receive an autographed copy of Taye's book! SP NOTE: THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING THE CONTEST HAS EXPIRED, BUT KEEP LISTING YOUR QUIRKS -- IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR KARMA.

Team SP

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if i were to write all about me, it would take me till i was 50, and then i would be a different person.. . but all i will say is the reason why im on this site is so i can have fun, talk to people, and so i have a better chance of meating rainn wilson

1. I like really small things...animals, especially. The animal doesn't even have to be cute, just small.
2. I snort A LOT when I laugh.
3. I'm a little sensitive little lady.

I only eat using small spoons,
I always make a wish when I see a truck full of hay,
and I always hug my baby as if it were the first time I saw her.

1. I am not verbose.
2." "
3." "

1. I LOVE NERDY SOFFFFFT guys.Not buff , athleticism not needed. NERDINESS and softness floats my boat. My boyfriend is starting to accept that his talk of star wars actually turns me on. I used to think something was wrong with me for not being attracted to Denzel Washington types , muscular guys , whenever my friends would talk about the guys they found cute. I secretly had a thing for the highschool nerds, and Steve Martin and Albert Brooks. Then one day I just thought.." its pretty neat that I like these guys..cause its genuine.. I'm not going to PRETEND to be attracted to people I don't really like just because its " in" .. And from there I been a nerd lovin softy funny guy type a gal. ( and my hunny bunny knows it)

2. I have the LOUDEST LAUGHTER ON THE PLANET.
No. Seriously. I can laugh and you'd hear me .. mmaybe 3 floors up?
I cant help it :) I just love laughing. Once when I was in hs ( lol I'm noticing a theme), I was sitting in the teacher student lounge and three girls were in there , they said something funny and a burst of speed ginormous laughter quickly abrupted my mouth.
They gave me the " .........no no honey" look. And i felt sooooo bad. Like I made the ugliest grossest sound ever. And you know what ? I came to accept my laugh because with all the crying that happens in the world, when I'm 88 I want to look back and say " I sure got my fill of laughing honey YES I DID!" .. And now I feel great every single time I laugh .. I just laugh so much.

3. I find imperfections really beautiful. I'll leave it at that :)

1. I used to be hyper, outspoken, and the odd ball until people kept giving me weird looks. I resulted in burrowing and creating a cacoon around myself but now, I embrace that one day that I will flutter like the butterfly i used to be but more magnificient and truly beautiful.

2. My dominant hand is my right but I try to use my left, thus causing a natural inbalance on how i move and react. I let my mind choose an action but let my body feel it.

3. Trying to figure out the 3rd thing made me realize, maybe i'm not so different than anyone else. Everything I do or feel or see has once been done, felt or seen by some one else. There are no innovations, only improvements or slight differences and thus, maybe one can always be empathetic to another. No one is alone.

1. When I was 23, I moved to Colorado with no coat, no money, no job, but when St Pat's Day came around, I became a local legend, and passed my trade along to my son when he turned 21. I painted shamrocks on people's faces every single St Patrick's Day, got all my drinks bought for myself and friends, plus went home with at least $50 every year.

2. I carry a kazoo EVERYWHERE. You never know when you can use a kazoo. I have played it many places, but my favorite stories are:

When I was 50, and kayaking on a river in S France, I didn't know how to drive that thing, so I pulled out my kazoo and started to play the French national anthem. People started walking towards the banks of that river, applauding, then about 10 guys helped me get out of the kayak and wanted their photo with ME. Turns out they were French Army guys on leave. I have that photo.

At a party in Colorado I played that kazoo for a little girl that didn't know how to talk. She was fascinated, so I taught her to play and gave the kazoo to her (I always have a spare at home). Her parents were amazed, but I knew from my experience with autistic kids that sounds are a great connection.

Driving down the road as a passenger and a car full of young men pulls up alongside. They have their music blaring, so I pulled out my kazoo and played along. They were rolling around that car in laughter. My husband tells me I am lucky, but I am careful. I look before I act.

3. I just turned 55 and long ago my hair turned gray. It is naturally curly and I wear it long, like Carole King. I enjoy that I can get away with a lot more as an older, very tall, gray haired woman. I talk to people all the time because they teach me things about the world and myself. It helps me continue to grow, but I am not afraid of the world. I enjoy the fact that I can go up to a young man who just dropped a piece of paper on the ground, ask him if his mother would approve and get him to pick up the piece of paper while he apologizes to me, a nice young man after all. I like that I can be more quirky as I grow older.

I like that I can be kind, but firm, old, but authoritative, I carry a backpack, not a purse, I feel like I don't have to wear make-up if I don't want to, I wear my hair wild, in gray curls. I was the best (tall) Einstein last Halloween. I like Halloween.

In June I had a unique opportunity to meet Phyllis Diller, at her home, and thanked her for helping push the door open the door for those of us who are quirky. If you don't know who Phyllis is, Google her name.

I am approachable, likeable and don't consider myself weird. I am my own woman and I have the love of a man that has been with me for 34 years.

I have adult children and a husband of 34 years who all love me and embrace their quirky mother. How Lucky can one person be?

The only thing I really want to do is to write a book.

On Taye Diggs, well my mother was born with 2 thumbs on each hand, my cousins, siblings and even a few nieces and nephews have extra digits or stiff thumbs. You would fit right into our family Taye!

1. I speak with a british accent in spanish class even though i have no relation to england
2. I eat ethnical food more than i eat american food
3. I play many different instruments but only own 1 of them

1. I love being the center of attention in a small group but hate it in a large group
2. Once I get comfortable someplace, I want to move away. Being uncomfortable is..well...uncomfortable..but it makes it more interesting and you learn more.
3. I'm ridiculously lazy (I do mean..ridiculously) until I become passionate about something. And then I become obsessive.

I'm not from the US or Canada, so I don't know if I'm eligible, but I'll try anyway. Also, I'm not sure how quirky these are, but here it is:

1. I got teased a lot in school, so I had to come up with my own forms of personal entertainment. I used to (and still do :s) come up with my own stories and act them out in my head. I don't have to go anywhere or do anything, but I can picture the entire story in my head without even having to close my eyes! (Maybe that's why I'm a good writer/performer...)

2. I can't play instruments or read music, so I have always relied on sound to pick up notes, and figured out a way to replicate the exact sounds of notes/instruments vocally. I can play the entire Green Hornet trumpet solo with just my voice/mouth (freaks my friends out!).

3. Also, I can imitate voices (namely deep ones) really easily. I also can sing really low, which is pretty interesting because I am a woman. I sing in a lower range than most men I know. I am in a show right now, where I am one of 2 tenors and I drown out half the cast!

I love to watch HGTV, but I hate when people ramble on about renovating their houses. I count in increments of ten when I brush my teeth. I both love and hate the word "safe."

1) I can lift as much as a guy in the gym. This doesn't mean I'm the Thing or anything. In fact, I'm average weight for my 5'11" height and considered skinny. When I was younger, my parents put me into athletics at a very young age coming from a family of over 6' feet tall relatives. As a result, I motivated myself to work hard and get stronger, faster, and better every day. In the off-season, you can always find me in the gym after school benching or running trying to improve. It's not like I'm thought of as a guy or anything, but the boys in the gym definitely treat me with respect for my effort as opposed to the other girls who just show off they legs in their short shorts.

2) I make the best facial expressions according to my friends. I used to be very self-conscious of my face due to a messed up nose and buck-teeth. However, I've outgrown it and have learned how to use these little "flaws" to make brilliant masterpieces to make someone smile at my reaction.

3) My legs are constantly moving. They continuous rock back and forth or just need to be tapping. I'm never aware of it until someone points it out as distracting. Usually, I have to stand up during class and walk around to let loose of my extra energy. I don't have restless leg syndrome or anything, nor am I a nervous person. It's just a habit I have, like licking my shoes during a game, it's just something I do naturally and without noticing.

1. I speak with a British accent while living in Akron,OH because I am a natural born citizen of the UK. 2. I am a very big boy! I am six foot and seven inches tall while weighing approx. 420lbs! I have a disease called Lymphedema which causes my lower extremities (legs) to swell to a very large size which requires me to wear a pair of custom made boots which (to a LOT of people) resemble clown shoes. I embrace my uniqueness by purposefully putting myself in public situations and actively engaging in social activities in a community where nobody has my condition. This year I auditioned to be an extra for the "Avengers" movie and got a small part in a movie that was filmed in Kent,OH. Right now I'm a bell ringer for the Salvation Army (five years in a row!) and next year I'm hoping to participate in the Akron marathon along with a few other athletic/charitable events. Thanks for reading this mate!

1. I was born with a left hand that only has a thumb. Instead of treating me differently or doing everything for me, my mother decided to treat me like any two handed kid and I figured out everything on my own. There were always challenges though. I didn't learn to tie my shoes until I was almost 7, I was never able to climb the rope in gym class or cross the monkey bars and to this day, I cant braid hair to save my life. I was fortunate enough to follow the same group of kids from pre-school through high school and because they were used to me, I never encountered much teasing. I was always aware how different I was though and have subconsciously developed an amazing ability to keep it fairly hidden. I know some people for months before they even see it. I am now 37 and while I still often keep it hidden, I have come to embrace my difference by finding humor in the fact my friends actually forget Im missing a hand. Some of my favorite moments are when they ask me to do something requiring two hands and I quickly ask, hello how do you expect me to do that? Because, come on...them forgetting is funny.

2. I like things in threes (you can imagine my excitement that this was a list of three). I arrange knick knacks and pictures in threes, when buying magazines I always pull the third magazine back off the rack and I somehow always sneeze in groups of three. While not something I necessarily have to embrace, I do have to accept the fact my husband constantly messes with me by overtly rearranging things I have placed in threes.

3. I snort when I laugh really hard. Its involuntary and loud. And there is nothing to do except laugh at myself about it and commend the person for making me laugh so hard I snorted.

1. I can eat Pizza everyday and not get tired of it. (Longest Stint: Senior Year of College, 10months, $1 Pizza)
2. I know all of Beyonce's choreography.
3. I'm allergic to Apples, but can drink a Gallon of Apple Juice and not go into an anaphylactic shock.

First of all, I want to apologize for my English cause English is not my main language, so I hope that you all can understand what I'm trying to say here and I'm from Malaysia and addicted to Private Practice show.

1. I'm the only one in my family who is very skinny. I'm a tall boy but thin and this creates a very uncomfortable feelings within myself. During school, a lot of students are making fun of me cause I'm very different from others and they called me "tulang" which in English means "a moving skeleton". I'm about to give up with my live at school but my parent told me that sometimes we need to learn and accept that we are different from others. God doesn't created his creature to be foolish by others. After that I tried to embrace the diversity and change myself into a better person. At last I'm successful in finding my friends and be a friendly guy with everyone.

2. I'm consider myself a highly sensitive person. I have six siblings and I'm the third. My big brother did not do very well in his education so do my big sister. So my parent seems like to push me and expect me to do better than my brother and my sister in the educational field. Luckily I'm doing very great but the sad thing is I'm felt that my parent are expecting too much from me and its making me very uncomfortable and become an emotional person sometimes. You know that its very hard when people are expecting too much from you and you are not able to do that. This feelings are killing me from the inside. So, since I'm a sensitive person, I always trying to steal time to talk with my friends, have a laugh and spending time with my family. I started to think that all parents want their kids to be a successful person no matter what they are doing, they did it for us.

3. I'm very freaking with the internet because I'm not the outdoor person. Moreover, I don't have many friends at my house's area. My friends are all far away from me. We just meet at the school. Some of my friends called me an arrogant person since I'm always spending my time at home than getting involve with them. Basically, I'm not that type of person because I'm a shy person. Its very hard for me to start any conversation unless someone is asking me first. So what did I do to solve this problem are I'm trying to be a "busy body" to my younger brothers. Sometimes I teach them to solve their homework, learn English by reading since I'm very dumb and stupid in English. Honestly I like English very much!, but I don't how to improve it. Sometimes I help my father with his business.

That all I think about my 3 quirky things that me different from my friends. Again ....sorry for my English and you all can read it and understand what I'm trying to say here. (Waiting for the Private Practice Intervention 2 hours!) XD

1) I LOVE to do crafts. I make jewelry and crochet mostly but just got on this kick of making furniture out of unique things like my window pane craft table. All the people that know me know this so every time I see someone I have not seen in a while you can bet they have something for me to use in a craft later!

2) I have an addiction to quotes. I have a quote journal that I keep of ones that I find that inspire me in different categories of life. People find cool quotes and send them my way because they know I can find meaning and inspiration in all of them. I like to write out a quote of the day on my mirror in my room to inspire me when I wake up in the morning depending on the day I had before.

3) I love musicals. I have never been the “theater/drama kid” in high school or college but I am obsessed with musicals. Any time there is one in town mainly local small theater I go and see it. My top musicals that are always on my IPod are La Cage Aux Folles, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and of course Rent and Wicked.

1. I am deaf with a cochlear implant. I grew up being hard of hearing and became deaf by age 17. I got the cochlear implants between 29 and 30. So I grew up being different in three different ways and different stages of my life. I learnt to embrace my deafness with my parents and younger brother support, they always embraced it so I was no different from them. But it was huge different while attending regular schools, with not so close family, even with some teacher in a regular class room (I never attended a special education school, just therapies).
2. I came to the USA to complete the required one and a half year externship to get my collage degree. And I met the most wonderful man, we fell in love and got married. We have to kids one looks just like his father and the little one looks more like me. They are half american, half mexican. The oldest has already experienced the ¨being different¨ issue. He has been asked why his mother speaks with a different accent, why his mother looks different, he seems to be having a problem explaining this to his class mates and he is really trying to understand how to embrace this difference.
3. I switched collage mayor in the middle of my first mayor. From special education to culinary bachelor degree, against so many people´s advice. But thanks to this switch I met the love of my life and I have this two beautiful boys.

Three Quirky things about me! (26yrs old)

1. I have small bits of OCD my doctor tells me. But I embrace them, when I collect Journals, CDs, Books and movies, and because of my minor OCD the cases/covers have to be neat, clean and together and look untouched even once I've been using them, and in alphabetical order. But that's me, who I am, and I enjoy it... now when I check doors to make sure they are locked when I know they are... that's a little different. But with my rejecting these other items if they have a scratch, bent corner or worn looking... I embrace that this is just apart of who I am. IF that doesn't convince you, growing up I was obsessed with my hand writing, I would sit and practice for hours to make sure it was neat and nice. I would get half way through a homework assignment and ball it up and throw it away if I messed up just one word. (Imagine how much paper I wasted!) But I didn't care, I embraced it by accepting this about it if I wanted it 100% neat and even if a 20 minute assignment took me an hour, I was happy if my paper was neat and the way I wanted it. Now convinced with my minor OCD? It didn't just start here!

2. I was adopted when I was 7 almost 8 years old, and because of this I have 3 families. Most people say I am lucky because I have 3 moms, but think about that, if your mom ever annoys you, times that by 3. Don't get me wrong, I love my moms and all 3 of my families: In my biological/birth family I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. In my foster family (family that had be from 6 months til 6 years old) I have 1 sister and 1 brother. In my Adopted family I have 1 sister and 1 brothers! Big family right. I think its weird to have 3 mom and no fathers, but I embrace this part of me by taking the time to explain and remind my friends of who I am talking about when I say mom, most say which mom. I don't think many people go through this, but I always find codes or little hints to help them remember which one I am talking about. That's a little part of me that I love. Oh and when one makes me mad or isn't there when I need them, I have 2 other moms I can run to... how many people can say that?

3. Lastly, I decided to tell on myself and say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE socks. Yes, I said it, SOCKS. Don't judge me either, but no matter what you give me for Christmas or my Birthday or any day, I LOVE socks. There is something about new, fresh, soft pretty socks that will make me jump for joy, take a shower, apply lotion and throw my feet into a fresh pair and snuggle up somewhere with happy feet. Happy feet = happy me. Of all the things I love, like above the things I collect, perfume and and my addiction to my laptop and cell phone, nothing holds a candle to socks. LOVE THEM! How do I embrace this? By putting at the top of all my Christmas and Birthday lists SOCKS PLEASE and walking around with socks that match every outfit I'm wearing... it's almost a life style! :)

1. I have really big, curly, red hair. It's been my defining feature for my entire life. People can spot me from far away because of it. As a child, everyone thought I was weird looking. But now people seem to really appreciate it. I used to spend hours straightening it and researching ways to control it. I stopped doing that a few years ago and now I wear my hair curly every day.

2. I'm really open about everything. Most people are kind of taken aback by it. I'm not saying that I talked about super personal things but I'm not afraid to open up or tell people exactly what I'm thinking. It really didn't work for me as a child. As an adult, my peers are refreshed by my honesty. Or at least that's what I'd like to think.

3. I grow really attached to things. And not just in a "I name inanimate objects" sort of way. But I do that too. It's so bad that sometimes I have 30 tabs open on my computer and I can't bear the idea of closing them. As creepy as it all sounds, it is a huge benefit in friendships. The fact that I am so attached makes me stay in touch with people and it's rare for me to lose friends that I'm really attached to.

SoulPancake

SoulPancake

Quick & Quirky: SoulPancake Interview Taye Diggs (Plus: Win a signed book!)

List 3 quirky things that make you different, and tell us how you've embraced them.

madelinemarie

if i were to write all about me, it would take me till i was 50, and then i would be a different person.. . but all i will say is the reason why im on this site is so i can have fun, talk to people, and so i have a better chance of meating rainn wilson

laughterworks

1. I like really small things...animals, especially. The animal doesn't even have to be cute, just small.
2. I snort A LOT when I laugh.
3. I'm a little sensitive little lady.

mxgirl37

I only eat using small spoons,
I always make a wish when I see a truck full of hay,
and I always hug my baby as if it were the first time I saw her.

Offbeatlj

1. I am not verbose.
2." "
3." "

Lalarose

essense

McMudgie

AbbeyDubs

1. I speak with a british accent in spanish class even though i have no relation to england
2. I eat ethnical food more than i eat american food
3. I play many different instruments but only own 1 of them

Marianuhtella

kdarr

TonyaDockens

I love to watch HGTV, but I hate when people ramble on about renovating their houses. I count in increments of ten when I brush my teeth. I both love and hate the word "safe."

pbjotter0912

Pdawg4jc

jkthorson02

Dominique_

1. I can eat Pizza everyday and not get tired of it. (Longest Stint: Senior Year of College, 10months, $1 Pizza)
2. I know all of Beyonce's choreography.
3. I'm allergic to Apples, but can drink a Gallon of Apple Juice and not go into an anaphylactic shock.

Chocolatequote

allysevp

mc_lumi

Chocolatema19

Karsen

Quick & Quirky: SoulPancake Interview Taye Diggs (Plus: Win a signed book!)

List 3 quirky things that make you different, and tell us how you've embraced them.

if i were to write all about me, it would take me till i was 50, and then i would be a different person.. . but all i will say is the reason why im on this site is so i can have fun, talk to people, and so i have a better chance of meating rainn wilson

1. I like really small things...animals, especially. The animal doesn't even have to be cute, just small. 2. I snort A LOT when I laugh. 3. I'm a little sensitive little lady.

I only eat using small spoons,I always make a wish when I see a truck full of hay,and I always hug my baby as if it were the first time I saw her.

1. I am not verbose.2." "3." "

1. I speak with a british accent in spanish class even though i have no relation to england2. I eat ethnical food more than i eat american food3. I play many different instruments but only own 1 of them

I love to watch HGTV, but I hate when people ramble on about renovating their houses. I count in increments of ten when I brush my teeth. I both love and hate the word "safe."

1. I can eat Pizza everyday and not get tired of it. (Longest Stint: Senior Year of College, 10months, $1 Pizza)2. I know all of Beyonce's choreography.3. I'm allergic to Apples, but can drink a Gallon of Apple Juice and not go into an anaphylactic shock.

What's Next?

1. I like really small things...animals, especially. The animal doesn't even have to be cute, just small.
2. I snort A LOT when I laugh.
3. I'm a little sensitive little lady.

I only eat using small spoons,
I always make a wish when I see a truck full of hay,
and I always hug my baby as if it were the first time I saw her.

1. I am not verbose.
2." "
3." "

1. I speak with a british accent in spanish class even though i have no relation to england
2. I eat ethnical food more than i eat american food
3. I play many different instruments but only own 1 of them

1. I can eat Pizza everyday and not get tired of it. (Longest Stint: Senior Year of College, 10months, $1 Pizza)
2. I know all of Beyonce's choreography.
3. I'm allergic to Apples, but can drink a Gallon of Apple Juice and not go into an anaphylactic shock.