List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
When I first started thinking about this one, I realized that there were two different ways that I could take this one. There are some people who have influenced me in a positive way and others who have influenced me in a negative way. I think I'm going to take this in a positive direction because those are the people who I appreciate the most and I like to believe that the positive influence of people is much more valuable. So here we go:
1 and 2. My mom and dad: I was going to try and separate the two of them and I realized that I would say a lot of things that were exactly the same. My parents have always shown me the importance of family and how you do anything that you can for your family even if they drive you crazy sometimes. They have shown me what I wanted in a marriage. They have been together for over 50 years and are still going strong and are very much in love with each other. They have always been here for me in everything that I have done.
3. My brother: When I was younger, I looked up to my brother, even if he drove me nuts. I liked the same things he liked. I took the same classes that he took in high school, up until physics, which I just wasn't willing to try. As we have gotten older, he has been one of my close friends. He and I both feel the same way about family and how important they are to us. We may be a long way away from each other now, but there is no doubt that he still has my back and I still have his.
4. Your dad: Your dad has been one of the strongest influences on me in my adult life. He always supports me in what I do and believes that I can do anything I set my mind to. He helped me learn to be patient with myself and accept that setbacks happen but don't mean that I'm a failure. He helped me understand that I am stronger than I realize. With him, I feel like I have found my perfect partner, someone who understands me more than anyone else ever has.
5. Kelly Trego: Kelly has been my best friend since high school. We found each other and developed an incredible friendship that has lasted for over 25 years. Kelly has influenced me by showing me what true friendship is and how it doesn't matter whether you talk every day or once in awhile, whether you live 10 minutes away, 10 miles away, or 1000 miles away, real friendship lasts through everything. During those years, I've had many fair weather friends float in and out of my life, but only one friendship has lasted that whole time.
6. Erin Nichols: Erin and I have been good friends for several years. Aside from how that friendship has made my life better, Erin has been an inspiration for me. She took on the challenge of changing her life by being healthier and accomplished so many amazing goals. When I decided that I was ready to make a change in my life, it had so much to do with seeing all that she had accomplished. She was my workout buddy, which helped me do all the things I wanted to do but might not have tried myself. She is a constant cheerleader for me, being supportive of every goal that I reach. Her support has kept me going when I have struggled.
7. Sandy Feinstein: Sandy was a college professor of mine while I was at Southwestern College. She was an English teacher and really helped develop my love of English and literature. She took sort of an nontraditional approach to work for her class and assessments of what we had learned. She held me (and all other students) to a high standard and wouldn't let me slack off and get away with it. However, she didn't always make us show what we had learned through essays or tests. The most important thing was being able to show that we had an understanding of what was taught in class. I need to remember more of what I learned from her when I am doing things in my classroom and not fall into the standard way of assessing.
8 and 9. My in-laws - Jeff and Sonia: Yes, I am putting these two together. I have mentioned before that I have amazing in-laws. They have been so incredibly accepting of me and my relationship with their son, even though the relationship would have to work hard to be less traditional. I always feel welcome when I am with them and they love me as a member of the family. I don't envy people who have struggles with their in-laws, but I completely can't relate because mine are so wonderful, caring, loving, and accepting.
10. Christina Murray, Jenny Chaney, Merideth Fisher, and Sadie Clark: These four young ladies were former students or players (when I was coaching). The four of them were a part of my teaching experience at different times, but have all allowed me to continue to be a part of their lives. They help me see how I can touch the lives of the students that I teach, whether through coaching or teaching in my classroom. They keep me going when I get frustrated and want to give up. Though I would never take credit for their successes, it makes me feel good to know that I was a part of their lives for a short period of time and somehow made enough of an impact that they want me to continue as a person in their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment