Who in your life has impacted you...and why?

[DB is Here]

For some reason this last weekend I got thinking about who in my life has had impact on me and how I turned out. My Dad of course has, but my Grandfather really played a heavy role also.

Every summer I'd ride to my Grandpa's house 2-3 days a week to work with him, he had 3 acres that was more like a park than a residence. He was meticulous with his lawn and landscaping and 1/2 the property was covered with a mix of alder & pine, he called it "The Grove". We'd cut grass, rake leaves, spread bark, fell tree's, weed-eat around every tree in the grove. This is only a partial list of the weekly chores, but it gives you an idea of the type of work being done.

One particular week-end we we're felling tree's, bucking, splitting & stacking it for his wood-stove that he used for winter heat and at 12 years old it was the hardest I'd ever been worked. I always felt proud after working with him as he didn't let me make excuses why I couldn't do something. I'd run the tractor, his Stihl chainsaw and swing his 8lb splitting maul to the best of my ability.

Anyway, after this week-end of work he was telling me I did a fine job, then handed me $50.00. Back in 1981 $50.00 was like $200.00 today, so I was shocked he paid me that much. I said thank you, went inside to get my stuff and get ready to ride my bike back home. On my way out, feeling that $50 was to much, I put the $50 in one of my grandma's planters, then rode my bike home.

I wasn't home 20 minutes and the telephone rang, my Dad answered, had a brief chat then looked at me and said "You need to ride back out to your Grandpa's house he said you left something and he'll be waiting in the driveway for you". My mind was racing as to what I'd left behind...

I arrived back at my Grandpa's house, he was standing in the driveway with his arms crossed, needless to say he didn't look happy and my heart sank, as I never wanted to disappoint him. I stopped my bike, dismounted and walked up to him. He said "Son, where's the $50 I gave you?" I told him that I'd left in in grandma's planter as I felt it was to much to pay me. He looked at me for what felt like an eternity, it was probably only 15 seconds in reality, then said "Listen here, when you work like a man, you'll get paid like a man".

Needless to say I grew 6 inches that day, never felt prouder and I've lived with bit of wisdom he imparted to me that day.

I thought it worth sharing and was curious what others might say as well...

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[Stomper]

Sounds like your grandpa was quite a "feller".

 

[TTSX]

I got a job at a pizza parlor and my manager there was really into cars and his dad was really into guns. I bought and sold a bunch of each (admittedly usually at a loss because I'm a bad businessman) and learned a ton about both just because of being around fans. Now I'm a professional diesel mechanic and have plenty of firearms to keep me entertained. Without having that job, I don't honestly know where my life would have ended up. Amazing how just being hungry becomes a job, then a lifelong obsession/career from a single influence

 

[CoastRange57]

My kids, who all turned out great. 3 Marine Corps combat veterans, 1 is a paramedic now, 1 is a Lt. training officer in a fire department, 1 owns a plumbing contracting business. Another is a former sheriffs deputy, now a marketing executive at Nike, another is a mid level executive at Intel.

They sure as hell did better than I ever did at that age.

 

[Kruel J]

My dad. I'm a responsible, law abiding selfless person and believe in integrity, honesty and respect. He instilled those on me from day one. I don't know where I'd be now if it wasn't for him.

 

[billdeserthills]

I will give full credit for my impacting to my doctor--He did some outpatient surgery on my knee & even complied when I told him I had a low threshold for pain & succumbed to my demands for oxycontin--Man taking those things really impacted me--I couldn't poop for days!

 

[UnionMillsNW]

So many people have impacted my life. Each in their own time and place.

If I had to say one stuck with me it would be a fellow Marine on my last day in the Corps.

He said "Never forget who you are, or where you came from"

 

[Member 52301]

God.

My late Mother.

My late Father.

My late 'Aunt' Catherine who was not a blood relative.

My late husband.

They taught me so many things in life!

The Ten Commandments.

The Golden Rule.

Exercise personal responsibility in ALL areas of your life.

Be your own woman or man in life and you don't have to follow a fad or the crowd.

There are good and bad in all people.

Use the brains and the common sense that the good Lord gave you!

I had a super long list typed up here but I thought that it might be too much for this thread! LOL

Cate

 

[cigars]

We are today the sum of everyone who we have encountered in life until this point, everyone.

 

[308]

My mom. Why would someone beat their little boy, call them a skinny, ugly little bastard who eats too much of her food. Does really bad things to a little boy...

My grandfather who loved me, was always their for me, would give me that last wrinkled up dollar bill in his pocket. Kept me safe from as much abuse as he could. Looked at me with embarrassed, sad and apologizing eyes knowing his daughter was bad to me. As a Pastor never preached to me, but showed me the love of Christ with his actions and life. And then as fate would have it, died on my birthday.

The God of the Bible. Even after the example of my grandfather, I rejected it all and dove head long into pride, arrogance, you name it, I probably did it. Then for some reason John 6:44 came into play, and my true hero called me.

My daughter and my son, each for giving me grandchildren whom I can love and be the kind of grandfather mine was to me.

My wife for putting up with me and loving me even though I don't deserve it.

 

[American123]

For some reason this last weekend I got thinking about who in my life has had impact on me and how I turned out. My Dad of course has, but my Grandfather really played a heavy role also.

Every summer I'd ride to my Grandpa's house 2-3 days a week to work with him, he had 3 acres that was more like a park than a residence. He was meticulous with his lawn and landscaping and 1/2 the property was covered with a mix of alder & pine, he called it "The Grove". We'd cut grass, rake leaves, spread bark, fell tree's, weed-eat around every tree in the grove. This is only a partial list of the weekly chores, but it gives you an idea of the type of work being done.

One particular week-end we we're felling tree's, bucking, splitting & stacking it for his wood-stove that he used for winter heat and at 12 years old it was the hardest I'd ever been worked. I always felt proud after working with him as he didn't let me make excuses why I couldn't do something. I'd run the tractor, his Stihl chainsaw and swing his 8lb splitting maul to the best of my ability.

Anyway, after this week-end of work he was telling me I did a fine job, then handed me $50.00. Back in 1981 $50.00 was like $200.00 today, so I was shocked he paid me that much. I said thank you, went inside to get my stuff and get ready to ride my bike back home. On my way out, feeling that $50 was to much, I put the $50 in one of my grandma's planters, then rode my bike home.

I wasn't home 20 minutes and the telephone rang, my Dad answered, had a brief chat then looked at me and said "You need to ride back out to your Grandpa's house he said you left something and he'll be waiting in the driveway for you". My mind was racing as to what I'd left behind...

I arrived back at my Grandpa's house, he was standing in the driveway with his arms crossed, needless to say he didn't look happy and my heart sank, as I never wanted to disappoint him. I stopped my bike, dismounted and walked up to him. He said "Son, where's the $50 I gave you?" I told him that I'd left in in grandma's planter as I felt it was to much to pay me. He looked at me for what felt like an eternity, it was probably only 15 seconds in reality, then said "Listen here, when you work like a man, you'll get paid like a man".

Needless to say I grew 6 inches that day, never felt prouder and I've lived with bit of wisdom he imparted to me that day.

I thought it worth sharing and was curious what others might say as well...

Used to mow my grandfathers lawn as he got older and it became more of a hassle for him I was less than 18 but old enough to drive so it must've been about 16. The first time I got about $20 and I went down to go buy a brick of 22 and got turned away for being too young I hadn't even thought of that because growing up fire arms were like second nature to anyone with half a brain. So I went back and I told grandpa hey how about instead of paying me $20 you get me a brick of 22 for mowing the lawn and that was how I was paid for many lawnmowing's.

Of course I would've done it for free but in hindsight it cracks me up because he was a extremely avid hobbyist you could say and I have a rabid case of the same hobby.

It almost seems to be a genetic inherited trait.