People Influence Me

Everyone starts out their life headed in their own direction. After time passes, other people influence us and lead us either in the right direction or lead us down a road of destruction. There are many people who have influenced us in our lives and the direction of our lives are going. Some lead us in a good way, and others lead us toward a long, hard way. A few people have guided me astray from my path and have lead me to trouble. A majority of people I know who are more active in my life, have been the ones helping me find my path to success once again and try to make me stay there. I feel that most of the people on my life have lived by this quote from the Dalai Lama, "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And is you can't help them at least don't hurt them." Most people would say that in life, you cannot be influenced and nobody can change who you are. I disagree with this philosophy based off my experiences and all the people I know have influenced my life. I have learned that many people have been in my life, or have come into my life, and they have changed my life in some way, shape, or form.

Many deaths of various people in my life have helped me realize that those people have made an impression on my life that will last forever. Several people have passed away in my lifetime. Some I did not know all that well, but others have been especially close to me. One example is my Grandfather Sam who passed away when I was in third grade. Not to be discourteous to other people who are important in my life, but he was always extremely close to me. I would almost go as far as saying that he was the most special person in my life, and he still is to this day. He showed me that even though life gets rough sometimes, you are rewarded with the good times after you make it through the bad. He displayed this philosophy in his daily life. He had been through so much trouble and sadness in his life, such as witnessing the passing of his wife, daughter, and brother. He demonstrated that I should have the same philosophy in my life.

My great-uncle Omar, nicknamed Bill, was a person in my life who left a large impression on my life. Sadly, I did not realize this until after I learned of his death. He had a great deal of hardships in his life, but he persevered through all of his hard times. In all the time I can remember, I never once saw him crumble emotionally because of hard times. He was always a strong person who never gave up. When his wife died, my aunt Danzel, he was at an all time low emotionally. I scarcely can remember her death, but what I do remember is that Bill never showed his sadness in front of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or his great-nieces and nephews. He proved to me that being strong emotionally is a great quality in life to have that helps you get through the hard times.

Great-Grandmother Florence was another great person who had influenced my life. Before the signs of Alzheimer's disease, my great-grandmother was very artistic, a skillful pianist, and was a cook of many delicious foods. Although I did not inherit her skills for art and for cooking, I am told that I have her natural talent for music. When I was younger, Great-Grandmother Florence would take me into the storage room, which was where the piano was located, and she would give me music books on top of music books that she had used before her health had declined. She would excitedly open some of the books and would ask me to play some of her favorite songs. No matter how badly I played them, she would always compliment me and then would show me what I was doing wrong in certain places. She showed me that being passionate about something, such as music, was a great thing and nothing to be ashamed of. She also demonstrated that encouraging others is a great way to raise somebody's self esteem. I never once saw her look down on anybody or discriminate against any person. She was a great role model on how to act towards my peers and why it was good to be passionate about music.

Many deaths of my pets have showed me that even those who are not human can leave an impact on life. Those who have pets know that even though you cannot communicate with their pets, their pets and them grow closer and closer the longer they live together. Pets grow to become members of the family. My family and I have owned many different animals, and sadly many of them have passed away. There have been two dogs, one cat, two gerbils, and one hermit crab that have died in our family. I do not remember all of them personally, but one that I do remember was one of the dogs, named Ziggy. He was a Shih Tzu and he grew to be one of my best friends. Him and I played for hours outdoors in the summer, played inside when the weather was bad, and he slept with me at night. My parents were always surprised about how close Ziggy and I were right from the moment I was brought home from the hospital. My mother took many pictures of Ziggy just laying next to me on a blanket, or even him lying next to my crib or playpen. Growing up together, Ziggy and I became closer and closer. When I was 7, Ziggy began to show his age and had to be put down, and I felt as though I was losing my best friend. Ziggy, although he was not human, taught me that not matter how close you get to somebody or something, that person or thing may not always be there for you. The people that you may be closest to may have something happen to them, such as death, injury, or disease, that may disable people to be there for you. That was a very important lesson for me to learn at such a young age.

I have also learned that there are many people in my life who have really made a difference in my life. Among those people are a few of my friends. Jamie Sanderson is one of my best friends. Her and I confide in each other with all our problems. We discuss everything from boy trouble to school to marching band. I never really knew her until I arrived at band camp the summer before I started high school. Ever since then, Jamie and I have grown so close as friends. Jamie has taught me that even though there are bunches of people out in the world who you cannot trust and are just plain dumb, there are also people out there that are genuine, trustworthy, and great people. She has showed me that being able to trust people is a great characteristic to have even though I may get hurt in the process.

Tiffany Sanders is another great person who has greatly affected my life. I have never seen her be afraid to show that she is really religious. Until the beginning of my junior year, I never was a great friend with her. I did not make fun of her or criticize her; I just never really took the chance to get to know her. When my junior year came, I finally broke out of my shell and started to associate with other people that I used to think were "immature