Ana’s Nugget: “Never say, “I’d never do that””

Oksana Ana Mara

Oksana (Ana) Marafioti makes us look very very vanilla. In fact, reading her answers to our life lessons questions makes us feel like we havent really lived at all. Oksana grew up dancing in her family’s Romani (Gypsy) ensemble in Riga, Latvia when it was still part of the Soviet Union.  That’s pretty unique. But, what about helping her dad run his exorcism business and later open up a psychic shop in the middle of Hollywood? Yup, we’d never heard of that before either. Oksana probably has life lessons about the wazoo but she keeps it simple: “Never say, “I’d never do that””

We’re excited to read more about Oksana’s magical childhood in her upcoming memoir American Gypsy: A memoir of Romani (Gypsy) childhood, due out July 3rd, 2012 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books. In the meantime,  a little preview of some fearless Oksana’s life philosophies.

1. Who is your hero and why?

Kids are my heroes. My kids and kids in general. They are much stronger and wiser than adults. Maybe that’s why all the really painful stuff, like teething and puberty, happen to kids. Maybe adults are poorly equipped to survive things like that. Kids can take so much heartbreak and remain unbroken. Their love is the only unconditional love in its true undeluted form. It’s the kind of love you read about in famous poems. They can bring us adults back to life with it, nurture us and make us feel like gods. Even in the most tainted of us, kids never fail to find the good.

2. What was your dream job when you were a child?

I come from a stage family so, naturally, I was going to be a famous dancer.

What do you wish you’d known 10 / 20 / 30 years ago?

Never say, “I’d never do that. ”

Is there any motto you follow? What’s something that you think always holds true?

What if? Is my motto. I’m addicted to taking chances. Sometimes I fail, but most of the time I succeed even if it’s just by learning an important lesson. I think we let go of too many amazing opportuities when we’re afraid of failing.

What’s something your parents told you that turned out to be right?

I went through this spiritual stage in my teens, reading about different religions and gods to see which one got it right. My mom kept telling me that god is in people as is the devil and that I need not look further than that. Of, course, she was right.