There have been many people who had influence over us. Some set high standards for us to follow and a few have been negative. We all have a teacher or two that made us feel special. When our son was in 5th grade, he had a teacher with a special lamp sort of like the one in “I Dream of Genie.” It was located up high on a shelf. I couldn’t help but think how it elevated the imaginations of the children.
He also had an old glass display case that turned around. It was probably from a Hallmark or jewelry store. Inside he featured the science projects of the month that the kids were studying. These novel ways of show casing history and science made the learning more fun. Our son loved to go into school early. He began to read National Geographic and loved all the faraway places. I guess I relived part of my grammar school days with him.
In addition to teachers, there are family members that influenced us. I had an Uncle who always took time to chat with us. He just seemed to care. There was an old timer who lived nearby named Rudy. He was interesting to chat with on my evening walks. He always talked about history and living through the rough times. I miss our conversations.
Then there continue to be traffic signs, books, and traveling moments that influence how we think and or behave. There effect on us is subtle. As a child, I was intimidated by the written rules. They made me feel obligated to follow them even when no one was around to enforce them. Our generation was passive as children, but seemed to erupt as we aged.
I don’t always agree with signs, but some are intended for our safety. Signs are on buildings, on the corners of our cities, and inside institutions. They warn us of falling debris, broken streets or walkways, and electrical hazards. They direct us on how to get from one place to another. They can be demanding as well threatening us with fines or camera reinforcements.
I want to suggest an exercise for my readers. Make a list of the teachers you recall, the adults in your life, and the people who stand out in your life. Next to each name, write down what they taught you and whether it was good or bad. I did it and it was revealing. How it lends insight for you, too.
Next think of the places you have visited. Why did you go the
re? Was it on a vacation or business. Who was with you? How would the experience have been different if you were with others? What did you learn at each place?
Finally, how about all those toys that were either given to you as hand-me-downs? The bicycles, scooters, or pogo sticks that helped you find your coordination? Did you learn or where you influenced by any toys? I know I was. I had a bicycle that small and well used. Its chain would fall off often. It had no chain guard and I ruined lots of slacks that got caught in the black greasy chain. I had lots of fun on it, but learned that the simple joys could also be frustrating. I learned to be aware of safety guards on future mechanical items. No doubt, I learned to change into play clothes so I won’t wreck my good clothes!
Howdy Doody was a Ventriloquist doll given to me by a cousin. He was a “good boy” and kindhearted. I enjoyed his theme song and the stories from Buffalo Bob. Howdy Doody sparked my imagination. Just what would he say or do? He was one of the many puppets that kept us busy putting on shows. Puppets were able to say what they wanted without getting in trouble.
Life is good when we are with healthy minded people and doing things for the right reasons. It takes a turn for the worse when we are forced to do something or be with negative people. As adults we have to be aware of what or who manipulates us and our thinking. There are the politicians, the media, advertisements, and even the pharmaceutical companies. They derail us from thinking clearly. We get distorted ideas from incomplete or misleading information.
Today is All Soul’s Days, when Christians think of those who have influenced us and died. We pray for their souls. Hopefully we will have learned good things from those who walked ahead of us. “Delight in Living!”