Today's Challenge: 9. List ten people who have influenced you and describe how.
In no particular order:
1. My mom, Cheryl. She has always told me that I can achieve anything I want in life. My confidence comes from her, and I exhibit that every single day. I am strong, and I have an attitude. In my opinion, those are necessary traits for a woman in this society to possess, and I am glad to have inherited them.
2. My dad, Jay. He was always my biggest fan, showing up at all of my football and basketball games and my cross country and track races to cheer me on. When I did well, he was proud. Even more important, though, is how he was proud even when I did NOT perform well. He made me want to keep going, even when the going was tough.
3. My fiancé, Dan. He is just such an amazing person overall that it rubs off on me. When we first began dating, there were a couple of times we'd be driving somewhere and he stopped to help out someone in need on the side of the road. It was something I'd never dream of doing (at least not on my own). Now, though, I enjoy stopping and handing food to people who need it. It's not much, but it's what I can do.
4. My second grade teacher, Mrs. Dauer. She showed me that I enjoy helping my peers. Not only did this make me more outgoing in elementary school, but I continued helping my classmates out through middle and high school as well. Now, I am a teacher myself, and I credit her. Who knows if I ever would have figured that out?
5. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hodson. Can you picture me as shy? Neither can I. However, once upon a time, I was shy. I was always outgoing with my classmates, but talking to adults? That was a whole different story. To help me get over that, she had me run errands for her (and even made some of them up!) just so I would have to talk to other teachers and adults in the building. After that year, I was fine. Still am. And I thank her.
6. My high school English teacher, Ms. Shreve. She always encouraged my writing ability, and she is probably the main reason I enjoy writing so much today. She would grade me down on something that was better than a classmate's A, and it always made me think. She was pushing me to do better because she knew I could. I wholeheartedly thank her for that today, and I think a lot of my perfectionism comes from that. Oh, and I did get an A in the end.
7. My high school cross country / track coach, Coach Griffin. He taught me that hard work and dedication pays off, no matte what. You will always be a better person when you try your hardest and do what other people say you cannot.
8. My students; all of them. Every day, I learn something new from my students. While I don't always have the best days, I have learned a lot from them, and my behavior is influenced by them. Sometimes they make me crazy, but I would be lost without their 12 year old wisdom and life experiences, many of which I have never been through.
9. My favorite author, Jodi Picoult. I have always dreamed of being a writer. Whether that becomes a reality or not depends on whether I want to make it one. However, reading Picoult's novels and being able to write my own is a good first step. Her writing influences me by making me think and making me want to write something just as good.
10. My favorite actress, Lucille Ball. From her old TV shows, I have learned that women can be funny too. Humor does pay off, and no one should take life too seriously. I think I act a lot like she does, and I have a lot of the same quirky behaviors. That hasn't slowed me down, though, and I am always happy to watch her on TV, even if it is in black and white.
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