A lot of people asked Mattie about his “favorites” in different categories. So he made a list of some of his favorite things that people often asked about.
Favorite subjects: History and Literature
Least favorite subjects: Algebra II/Trig and Biology/Chemistry
Heroes: Of course God (for life and a message of hope and peace), and my mom (for teaching and celebrating life). Also, Jimmy Carter (for peacemaking), Oprah Winfrey (for humanitarianism), Jerry Lewis (for advocacy), and Maya Angelou (for writing).
Favorite colors: Sunset and Elf Green (runner-ups: Black and Rainbow)
Favorite symbolic colors: Purple – the color of hope, and People Together – the color of peace.
Favorite foods: Vegetables, barbeque ribs, seafood (especially Maryland crabs!)
Favorite ice cream, cake, candy, and sweet: Chocolate, any version!!! “Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate!”
Least favorite foods: Most fruits, especially strawberries
Favorite animal: Tiger
Favorite fantasy creatures: Phoenix, Dragon, and Smeagol/Golum
Favorite sports teams: Maryland Terrapins, Baltimore Orioles, and the Washington Redskins (yes, in spite of their record)
Runner-up sports team: Green Bay Packers and UNC Tar Heels
Favorite places: Home and MDA Summer Camp
Favorite places runner-up: My imagination, Heaven, and Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas
Favorite vacation spot: Nags Head, NC (before the trach/vent)
Favorite trips: Driving from Maryland to Los Angeles in our van for the MDA Telethon
Runner-up trip: Flying in the air ambulance to the Oprah show in Chicago
Favorite neighborhood things: Rolling to Starbucks, Maggie Moos, or the video store
Least favorite place: The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the hospital (though I love the people)
Favorite movie: To Kill A Mockingbird (original black & white version)
Runner-up movies: Lord of the Rings trilogy, What About Bob?, Austin Powers trilogy, Pirates of the Carribean, As Good As It Gets, Monty Python…
Favorite actors: Mike Meyers, Sean Astin, Bill Murray, Jim Carey, Halle Berry, Will Smith
Favorite poets: Maya Angelou, William Blake, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Suess
Favorite book: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Runner-up books: Lord of the Rings books, Moby Dick, The Giver, Old Man and the Sea, The Westing Game, Harry Potter books, and many classics
Favorite cartoons: The Simpsons, Yu-Gi-Oh, X-Men Evolution, Pokemon, SpongeBob, Brack Show, Ed-Edd-and-Eddy, Family Guy (I love cartoons!)
Favorite TV shows: Everybody Loves Raymond, Price is Right, Full House, Saturday Night Live, Oprah
Favorite music: Soundtracks, especially Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Carribean. I also listen to the Beatles, Gospel music, Weird Al, Smashmouth, and Creed.
Favorite songs: If I Could (Friends of the Family), Let There Be Peace on Earth, Amazing Grace (spiritual), and Soak Up the Sun (Sheryl Crow). I also really like what Billy Gilman did with I AM/Shades of Life on the CD I did with him.
Favorite video games: Legend of Zelda, Lord of the Rings, Pokemon, The Simpsons
Favorite websites: Ones that feature Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Legend of Zelda, and Legos
Favorite holiday: Muscular Dystrophy Summer Camp, and Thanksgiving — “especially if we are eating at Sandy’s house!”
Favorite practical jokes: My remote control fart machine and my rat in a box.
Favorite shows to be on: Oprah, Larry King, Good Morning America (they’re great people!)
Favorite ‘wanna be’ shows and more: To have the Simpsons or Weird Al Yankovic parody me, to be on Sesame Street, and to have Legos create a peace builder set (and of course, I would love a Mattie messenger figure in there!)
