Influence? Why is it that the people who influence us most influence us in ways that are not easily quantified? Through her work with abused children, my mother has shown me the heroism of selfless dedication to a worthy By being an upstanding individual, my playwriting teacher in middle school acted as an inspiring malerole model at a time when I needed one most. By being approachable and interesting, my World Historyteacher in my freshman year of high school opened my eyes to the connections between a society's culture andits history and broadened my view of cultures and the world. While these influences mean much to me and havecontributed greatly to my development, they came too easily to mind. The fact that I could sit down and write a list of how these people influenced me suggests that the influence didnot alter me in any profound way. These people are all my elders, and perhaps I feel distanced from them. Theperson whose influence shook me to the deepest level is a person whose influence is nearly impossible todescribe. Mike, the best friend I've ever had, changed me, and I changed him at one of the most crucial timesin our lives: the seventh grade. We developed our personalities, our senses of humor, and our love for girls atthe same time and in the same manner. It would cheapen his influence to quantify it; I am what I am because ofhim; I cannot say that about anybody else. Mike came to my school in the seventh grade, and we immediately clicked. Before he came, I didn't feel like anoutcast by any means, as I had my friends that I had known since first grade. However, until Mike, I never hadanyone my age to identify with completely. Mike made me feel confident in who I was; he reaffirmed my drivesand my thoughts and my inspirations. At this awkward stage in our lives, we found uncritical appreciation ineach other. We both were obsessed by movies and had a similar sense of humor. We had the same problemsand the same thoughts. T...
