There must be someone.....

[kevvome]

Which person (alive or dead) has had the most influence in your life?
And why?

[HairOfTheDog]

Hard to decide.

It's either Shirley McLaine (alive), TheKid65 (alive, but missing him) Gary Coleman (dead), Princess Diana (dead), or LaToya Jackson (not sure).

I don't know why they've all had such a profound influence on my life.

Why ask why.

[kevvome]

Hard to decide.

It's either Shirley McLaine (alive), TheKid65 (alive, but missing him) Gary Coleman (dead), Princess Diana (dead), or LaToya Jackson (not sure).

I don't know why they've all had such a profound influence on my life.

Why ask why.

Why not?
I ask ''why?'' to give anyone the opportunity to explain in more detail the reason behind their influence on you..
I should really have added that the influence could be for better or worse.
And I have heard of every one except TheKid65. AND THAT'S BECAUSE MY AGE IS AT THE END OF HIS NAME.

[HairOfTheDog]

I was asking myself, "why ask why?"

TheKid65 is a member here who hasn't dropped in for a while; interesting man.

There really isn't a specific person who I seriously think influenced me the most -- combination of a few people and a lot of different events.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

not as hard a question as I thought.
My dad, Alive. My dads Father, Dead.
My first Mother in law, still alive.
My kids

[Maggot]

I agree with six, my Dad. He left me so much. I still don't know how much yet.

[kevvome]

I agree with six, my Dad. He left me so much. I still don't know how much yet.

Well go to the bank and find out Mag.

[kevvome]

not as hard a question as I thought.
My dad, Alive. My dads Father, Dead.
My first Mother in law, still alive.
My kids

Unusual for a couple of reasons Six. 1/ I think to have your Dad's Dad as an influence is rare. It is invariably the maternal granddad that helps you along, nice to see you know different. 2/ Your ex Mum in law! Hell I wouldn't have gave mine a push down a slide, and vice versa.
Nice choice though Six.

[kevvome]

I was asking myself, "why ask why?"

TheKid65 is a member here who hasn't dropped in for a while; interesting man.

There really isn't a specific person who I seriously think influenced me the most -- combination of a few people and a lot of different events.

Not even one major influential person?
I think that is pretty rare.

[HairOfTheDog]

Not even one major influential person?
I think that is pretty rare.

More than one -- a combination of a few that were influential in different ways.

My parents as a unit probably had the most profound influence; couldn't put one over the other.

[kevvome]

So you can't name just one person who has motivated and influenced you more than the others HOTD?
Like i said, that is indeed a rarity.

[aussiefriend]

My Grandmother. She was the family matriarch. She brought the family together and was revered by everyone in the family. She was this skinny little Irish lady who had a night time cleaning job and went to Mass and loved to play bingo. My uncle was murdered, so she had to live with the loss and grief of losing her only son. She was a strong kind loving awesome woman. When she was dying, my sister was over there with my mother and she said is there anything you want to tell her I said 'tell her, I want to be just like you'.

[username]

So you can't name just one person who has motivated and influenced you more than the others HOTD?
Like i said, that is indeed a rarity.

I don't think it's a rarity at all. Every person close to you in your life (particularly your immediate family if you grow up with them...or not) has a profound effect on who we become, where we're motivated (or not) and assorted influences.

I couldn't name one person if I tried but I'd generally say my parents when I was a child and my kids are molding and changing me as I do my best to raise them.

We're the sum of many different experiences and always changing as circumstances around us change. I was an entirely different person in my corporate life than I am today.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

not as hard a question as I thought.
My dad, Alive. My dads Father, Dead.
My first Mother in law, still alive.
My kids

Unusual for a couple of reasons Six. 1/ I think to have your Dad's Dad as an influence is rare. It is invariably the maternal granddad that helps you along, nice to see you know different. 2/ Your ex Mum in law! Hell I wouldn't have gave mine a push down a slide, and vice versa.
Nice choice though Six.

Yes, MIL1 was and is a fine person. You would need to know a lot more about me than I am inclined to type in here to understand, but she taught me there was a better world than the world I came from, very valuable lessons.
I would like to add both of my grandmothers, very different people form each other, but both taught me a lot. Old people in general, at least from the perspective of my generation have a lot to teach us about the world, how things were done, how life was lived etc. Its the last of an old fashioned world, even in the agricultural world, then it was small farms, now it is Huge agribusiness complexes, a way of life gone.
I kind of draw a line between that world and the one we live in now with all the technology, social media and "Conviniences". A better world now? maybe in some ways, but look around, a lot of this new world sux. There was no need in this country for its citizens to feel the need to go about armed like we do now in so many places. Medical care didn't mean giving up your life savings, kids said Yes Sir and Yes Ma'am and didn't run around with their pants hanging off their ass.

[kevvome]

not as hard a question as I thought.
My dad, Alive. My dads Father, Dead.
My first Mother in law, still alive.
My kids

Unusual for a couple of reasons Six. 1/ I think to have your Dad's Dad as an influence is rare. It is invariably the maternal granddad that helps you along, nice to see you know different. 2/ Your ex Mum in law! Hell I wouldn't have gave mine a push down a slide, and vice versa.
Nice choice though Six.

Yes, MIL1 was and is a fine person. You would need to know a lot more about me than I am inclined to type in here to understand, but she taught me there was a better world than the world I came from, very valuable lessons.
I would like to add both of my grandmothers, very different people form each other, but both taught me a lot. Old people in general, at least from the perspective of my generation have a lot to teach us about the world, how things were done, how life was lived etc. Its the last of an old fashioned world, even in the agricultural world, then it was small farms, now it is Huge agribusiness complexes, a way of life gone.
I kind of draw a line between that world and the one we live in now with all the technology, social media and "Conviniences". A better world now? maybe in some ways, but look around, a lot of this new world sux. There was no need in this country for its citizens to feel the need to go about armed like we do now in so many places. Medical care didn't mean giving up your life savings, kids said Yes Sir and Yes Ma'am and didn't run around with their pants hanging off their ass.

Riveting stuff mate. For once I can't pick on anything to disagree on. I absolutely know what you mean when you say we can learn from our grandparents. Hell yeah. What kid hasn't listened to his grandma's/grandpa's stories of ''the olden days''? My grandma used to tell me about hers when I was a tiny kid and I was so engrossed in her stories that I forgot all sense of time and place, except the time and place in her stories. There was indeed respect in those times. I could only love and admire the words of wisdom I was hearing from my grandma (my MATERNAL grandpa I hasten to add). It made me want to emulate them, to strive to live a good life. Of course, when I got older I was a wild kid. Lived everything by my rules and hated authority. But that had more to do with a Dad that hated me, even as a kid of ten years old he hated me. A drunk, a wife beater, a gambler. I was the oldest kid and the only one he picked on. Years later my Mum said it was because I reminded him too much of himself. She was right I believe. I swore I would never be cruel to any kid of mine when I got older, and that I would be the opposite of my father. I kept that promise from the day my son was born., And yeah, today's world is a crazy world, no wonder why we have such crazy people. But more than crazy, it's dangerous. I despair for our kids future Six. I despair for us all. Before modern technology we had employment for everyone (if you wanted it) but as each decade has passed by we have replaced men and women with a micro chip. No jobs, no hope, no future. One thing is for certain....things will get worse. I just hope I'm not around to see it when it does. I mean that.

[kevvome]

My Grandmother. She was the family matriarch. She brought the family together and was revered by everyone in the family. She was this skinny little Irish lady who had a night time cleaning job and went to Mass and loved to play bingo. My uncle was murdered, so she had to live with the loss and grief of losing her only son. She was a strong kind loving awesome woman. When she was dying, my sister was over there with my mother and she said is there anything you want to tell her I said 'tell her, I want to be just like you'.

Geez, thanks for that oz. I got more than a little choked up when I read that because it is so similar to mine. You are obviously a really fine person and I wish you well

[kevvome]

So you can't name just one person who has motivated and influenced you more than the others HOTD?
Like i said, that is indeed a rarity.

I don't think it's a rarity at all. Every person close to you in your life (particularly your immediate family if you grow up with them...or not) has a profound effect on who we become, where we're motivated (or not) and assorted influences.

I couldn't name one person if I tried but I'd generally say my parents when I was a child and my kids are molding and changing me as I do my best to raise them.

We're the sum of many different experiences and always changing as circumstances around us change. I was an entirely different person in my corporate life than I am today.

You don't think it's unusual for someone not to have had a figure in their lives to motivate and influence them? Well I do. I asked this very question some years ago in my local pub.There were about 8 of us there, 5 guys 3 chicks. Without exception they could all recall someone who came out on top for their answer. You find it an impossible question to answer, most people don't. No big deal though.

[aussiefriend]

Geez, thanks for that oz. I got more than a little choked up when I read that because it is so similar to mine. You are obviously a really fine person and I wish you well

Thanks Kev, she was from the Ireland originally, but the family had moved then to the North, then across to Keighley, Yorkshire, which is where she died. I was amazed when I went back there in 2003 how much it had changed compared to when I was there in 1989. Wow there was many more muslims there too.

[kevvome]

Geez, thanks for that oz. I got more than a little choked up when I read that because it is so similar to mine. You are obviously a really fine person and I wish you well

Thanks Kev, she was from the Ireland originally, but the family had moved then to the North, then across to Keighley, Yorkshire, which is where she died. I was amazed when I went back there in 2003 how much it had changed compared to when I was there in 1989. Wow there was many more muslims there too.

Bit of a coincidence here Oz! I'm a Yorkshireman and my family (on my Dad's Dad side) came from Ireland over to Yorkshire too! I know from experience that (after only a few years away) that places change beyond recognition. I was away from my home town for 5 years ('87-'92) and when I came back and left the train station I only saw buildings which had never existed when I left. I quite literally thought I had got off at the wrong town. As for the Muslims, Once they get a foothold in ANY place they are impossible to get rid of. If they all left England we'd have two hours extra sunlight every day.

[kevvome]

Geez, thanks for that oz. I got more than a little choked up when I read that because it is so similar to mine. You are obviously a really fine person and I wish you well

Thanks Kev, she was from the Ireland originally, but the family had moved then to the North, then across to Keighley, Yorkshire, which is where she died. I was amazed when I went back there in 2003 how much it had changed compared to when I was there in 1989. Wow there was many more muslims there too.

They don't make 'em like they once did Oz, more's the pity.. Your grandma and my grandma sound so similar. Salt of the earth.