A city dweller all his life, John grew up in Chicago's ethnically diverse Rogers Park neighborhood, the son of an ex Jesuit who worked for Chicago's urban Loyola University, and a psychotherapist. Growing up white and Catholic in a neighborhood full of African Americans, Orthodox Jews, Nigerians, Mexicans, Indians, Pakistanis, and every ethnic and religious group imaginable gave John a unique perspective on getting along in a crowded world. John's life saving heart surgery and altruistic parents gave him an appreciation of the importance of comedy as a means to social change. Chicago's rich cultural heritage, economic differences, and fast paced lifestyle contributed to his observations on how we get by in a changing world.