I have encountered lots of people and
lots of experiences that have influenced who I am today. Some of the main
experience that has had an influence on me has been moving. I have moved around
a lot in my life, I have gone to countless schools and met many people. With
moving around I learned how to adapt to new situations. But it has also
hindered me. I moved so much that making friends became difficult because I
would just shut down and climb into my introverted shell and avoided people. I
never knew how long I would be somewhere so eventually tried not to get close
to anyone. As I have gotten older I have had a much harder time, I have become
so introverted that at times people think I don’t like them. Moving has been
both good and bad for me. Another
experience that has influenced my life was the death of one of my best friends.
I am really trying to not let it define me, but there have been so many people
that I have known my age that I was close with that died. I really strive to
try new things, but again I am hesitant when making friends, because I want to
avoid getting hurt.
Some of the people that I have met that
have had an influence on my life would my stepdad Jamie. He and my mom married
when I was 9. HE has taught me a lot. He has taught a lot about sports, tools
& repairs, and about life. My mom has taught me how to work hard and to be
independent. Both my mom and my stepdad made a point to teach my sisters and I
how to use tools, so we would have a knowledge how to use them and fix things.
Many people underestimate my knowledge, but I can prove them wrong, I am not like
other girls. My adopted father has had a major impact on my life, for the
worse. Because of him, who I will not name, I find it very hard to trust
people. He was not around much, and even when he was, he wasn’t. Many times my
sister and I would be left at his newest girlfriend’s or fiancé’s house to fend
for ourselves, and because of that I learned to be independent at a young age.
I was taking care of my younger sister from the time I was eight which meant I
learned to cook. I was lied to an let
down many times, and I have learned to be cautious and be my own person, free
from his bad choices, lies, and disappointments.
Friends who have had an impact on my
life have been Nicole, Megan, Tabi, and Tyler. Tabi had an infectious smile and
personality. She was one of my first best friends and could always make me
smile. Nicole took me under her wing when I started high school, and helped me
cope with the move. She is two years older than I and when she graduated high
school I had a rough time. She is now stationed in North Carolina and I still
speak with her regularly but I only get to see her once maybe twice a year.
Megan has been my friend and roommate since freshman year. With her I can be my
goofy, obnoxious self. Tyler, where do I begin? We are friends now but we did
date for a time. He has taught me a lot about relationships and people, and
about myself. With him, I do not have to worry about him judging me or looking
down on me because of something I do.
Teachers who have had an influence on me
would be Mr. Brunk, and Mr. Robinson. Both coincidently are science teachers
and cross country coaches. But neither were my coach, although I looked to them
more than my coach. They have both had influence because they sparked an
interest in science. They both have provided me with invaluable advice.
Through the many experiences and the
people I have met, I have had a lot of influence on my life that made me who I
am today. Both the good and the bad have med me who I am today. Although sometimes I wish I could change some
things, it has made me the strong, independent young woman that I am today.
