I take it they changed your thinking for the better then? That's great FNR! I'm glad you've had many positive experiences with other people. So many that you can't pick one! Thank you for your nifty reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
Gough Whitlam, former Prime Minister and a genuine statesman. He was largely responsible for the political beliefs I hold dear - a democratic Christian socialist.
Wow! A politician? Wow Sbf! That is truly awesome! Someone in politics whom you so admired he shaped your thinking? Wow! I bet he would be so thrilled to learn about that. Pols get maligned all time because they deserve to be..mostly. When such an exception as you mention sticks up out of the crowd due to excellence that is definitely something memorable! Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
He passed away a couple years ago. He's arguably the only Prime Minister I genuinely and wholeheartedly admired, depite tge fact that I was only six years old when he was dismissed from office.
Retroactive condolences for the loss of someone who was a truly great statesman. How grand would he feel if he knew how much he influenced you, time and age notwithstanding! Thank you for the updated info Sbf and Happy Wednesday! :) "Whitlam". A wit and a lamb? Great combination.
This post was edited by RosieG at May 3, 2017 6:35 AM MDT
There have been many... people i will never forget who have touched my life, sometimes for the better, sometimes not so.. but all have had an influence.. we are, it's said, a product of our past experiences and the things we have seen, heard and done..
There is one person... who perhaps stands out more than the rest.....
That one person remains a secret then? That's fine m'dear. I'm happy to learn there have been many..well, happy about the "good" ones. Not too happy about the not-so-hot ones but they come with that territory don't they? Thank you for your reply Addb and Happy Tuesday to theee! :)
I've met entertainers, public office holders, politicians, judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers, clergymen of international reputation, as well as many others from a variety of locales. The one young man that remains on my mind without ceasing is a fine fellow I knew in the old neighborhood where we lived when I was a teen. Bill was an odd mix of 1950's culture mixed with 1960's rebellion rolled into one. But Bill was also something of a Renaissance man who was well read on a variety of subjects. Classical literature and music, world history and art were subjects in which he was well versed. Here was a guy who could drop the engine in your car and rebuild it, or draw your likeness with a pencil and paper. Being a few years older than myself, there were times that he brought me under his wing on the finer points of life and living. A real friend and someone you could confide in while coping with the strange ups and downs of the teen years. But war is a thief and a heart breaker that robs us of the brightest and best. Bill lost his life in 1969 serving with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. He was twenty two years of age. Now in my 66th year, my mind goes back to those days of adolescence and early adulthood full of questions and coming of age. I never lost my need for such a friend.
((hugs)) A lovely tribute to a fine man. This is precisely what immortality is my friend. You do realize that you have just introduced all of us who read this to your friend, Bill. Don't you? We shall all carry him in our memories too, associated with you. At 22 he left this earth for a better place. I hope to he** that's true driftwood. Thank you for remembering him and sharing what you remember of him with us. I have a feeling you are memorable too and somewhere out there someone would mention you in answer to this question. And that my dear is how we pay kindness forward! Thank you for your fine reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
My third grade teacher...Miss Bryant, is mine. I was a good student but painfully shy. She recognized that and tried to bring me out of my shell. She reached out and became a family friend. She attended my high school graduation and gave me a lovely rhinestone bracelet. I don't know what happened to the bracelet but I remember how sweet she was and what she looked like. By contrast my 6th grade teacher, Miss Nyburg, made my life a living he**. She took a dislike to me and would say things like "Miss______ since you're so smart why don't YOU answer the question?" I despised her. SIGH. Thank you for your reply nL and Happy Tuesday. Miss Nyburg was an old bleached blond then and she is long-since dead. But I will always remember her unkindly till I die. :(
ForkNdaRoad 