Spotlight: The Man-zilian
Matt Minor is an international educator and twice-published author. His books have raised over 15k for charity, and can be found on Amazon (The New Normal: Tales from International School Teachers and The New Normal: More Tales from International School Teachers).
Matt told his story at our ‘Man Up’ show in September 2019, about the time he made a bachelor party promise to his brother that he painfully kept...
Unravel: Your ability to recount so many vivid and hilarious details made us feel that we were right there with you. Did you know at the time you were making a memory you would never forget?
Matt: As soon as Julio told me I was getting the 'Man-zilian' I knew this was going to be a story I would be telling people for years to come. There really wasn’t a need to memorize vivid details; I can still feel the sting if I close my eyes and concentrate. I just had to remember all of the ways Julio (my esthetician) acted as my guide to help me survive this experience. His words were warm and sympathetic but deep down I think he was entertained.
I can only imagine how he recounted the moment to his colleagues of the joy he received torturing an unsuspecting bachelor who was almost brought to tears while being waxed clean. You’re welcome for the story Julio.
Unravel: In addition to a hilarious chain of bachelor party shenanigans, at its core this story feels like it’s about your brother and the relationship you two have. Can you tell us more about that?
Matt: My brother Mikey and I have always been best friends. Over the years we have chosen very different paths. I’m living and teaching overseas, traveling the world and avoiding responsibility as much as possible. He’s living in the suburbs with his wife and two children in full-on dad mode. Our day to day lives couldn’t be more different, yet we are both more open-minded and progressive than our conservative upbringing taught us. I’m meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds whose stories have taught me so much. Mikey’s now an officiant who specializes in marrying couples from the underserved LGBTQ+ community in North Carolina.
On the surface, it could be easy to say that we don’t have much in common but that’s far from true. He is truly the link to my childhood memories and to so many important experiences from my lifetime. Although he doesn’t have the time nor energy to issue as many challenges to me as when he was single, I have a feeling this tradition is slowly being passed along to my nephews. It makes me smile to think that there are plenty more childish pranks to be issued from one Minor brother to the next.
Unravel: You’ve lived all over the world as a teacher, what has moving and meeting so many new people taught you about the power of storytelling?
Matt: Language barriers can be frustrating because I love to connect with new people. But in the last few years since I’ve been writing and storytelling, I like to people watch and imagine the kinds of stories they could tell us if we did speak the same language. I’ve also been lucky enough to connect with a lot of international teachers around the world who have submitted stories for our books. We realize that we have an instant connection through mutual friends and former colleagues, travel moments, and a love of new cultures.
Unravel: What did the experience of sharing your story in front of an audience mean to you? Matt: It is always fulfilling to set a goal, spend time working towards it, and have fun while you are accomplishing it.
Matt: I was extremely nervous but as soon as Clara handed me the microphone, my excitement at connecting with people just took over. I can still visualize some of the audience members’ faces as they were right there with me on the waxing table. Guys were cringing, sweating, and making faces as if their own follicles were being torn from their body. Apparently, a few of them were heard afterwards saying, “Why the hell would he actually go through with the challenge?!”
Unravel: Do you keep in touch with Julio?
Matt: Honestly, I wish we did keep in contact—the world needs more kind, sympathetic, and gentle human beings like Julio. A year later I passed him walking down a street in Chicago. It took a few minutes to register and by the time I figured it out he was gone. I guess [he] will always be a person who was in my life for a very short time whom I will never forget. Funny enough two days after I told my story at Unravel I received an email from Sir Spa with an offer for 20% off my next treatment. Either Google is listening or someone in the audience was trying to help me reconnect with my old pal Julio. Or maybe the waxing gods aren’t quite finished with me.