Rachel Maddow: What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

The question

What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Rachel Maddow

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Now. My life is better with every year of living it.

Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, April 2012 source ↗

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Nicola Adams British boxer

When I won gold at the London Olympic Games.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 December 2012 source ↗

Philip Glass American composer

There are many moments of happiness for me. I swim in a sea of them. They are related to my family and work.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 November 2008 source ↗

Jake Bugg English singer-songwriter

When my album went to No 1.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 July 2013 source ↗

Adeel Akhtar British actor

At boarding school, I was unable to get the main part in Hamlet, so I put on a production of The Homecoming with my friends. The teachers came to see it and said they didn’t know I had it in me. It felt very good.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 May 2018 source ↗

More from Rachel Maddow

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Question If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be? Identity & self

I would be a better correspondent. I’m hopeless by e-mail, by phone, by text.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 15 March 2012 source ↗

Question Which quality in your friends matters most to you? Relationships

Discretion and good cheer.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 1 April 2012 source ↗

Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

Becoming dickish.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, April 2012 source ↗

Question What does happiness look like for you when life is going well? Identity & self

Loud bar, good band, cold beer, ride home.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 1 April 2012 source ↗

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