The Book of Me: Who Inspires You?

That's a loaded question.  I could ask, "Inspires me to do what?"  There are people out there who inspire me (inadvertently, I'm sure) to do violence.  Let's exclude them right off the bat.  (I was originally going to say, "Let's eliminate them . . ." but that could be taken the wrong way!)

That leaves inspiration in a positive sense. 

I have had people throughout my life who have inspired me to learn and to love learning.  My senior English teacher at duPont High School, Mrs. Hartzog, was one.  My aunt, Elizabeth Reed, for whom my younger daughter is named, was another.  That got me to go back to college many, many years later, at the age of 60, and earn two post-baccalaureate degrees, in History and Spanish, and then go for a master's degree in Florida Studies (a program found only at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg). 

Turns out I became inspiration for some youngsters, to hear my buddy, one of the custodians at USFSP, tell it.  That cuts both ways, because the young students who were my classmates inspired me, too, with their energy and enthusiasm.

I come from a family (on my mother's side) with a weird sense of humor that tends toward puns.  I guess it's in the Reed blood.  My grandpa made up songs that consisted of puns.  My aforementioned aunt was a great humorist, and could entertain crowds with amusing monologues that skewered human foibles.  My mother also had a great big sense of humor.  My husband also has a weird sense of humor.  These family members have inspired me to see the absurdity of life, and to find humor in it.

My friends inspire me to see beyond myself to the greater number, and to seek the greater good. 

There were leaders whom it was my honor to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard.  The ones who displayed the best characteristics of leadership led me to strive to emulate their leadership style.  These were the ones who took care of their personnel, keeping up with our professional development, seeing to it that we could meet our family's needs in emergencies, and directing us to achieve the missions of the Coast Guard.

Those are a few of the people who have inspired me.