Memed Again!

Jean Marie Heinmann of Catholic Fire demands to know MY TOP TEN GREATEST INFLUENCES, OUTSIDE OF GOD AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS!

Here it goes!

In no particular order:

1. Paul Mikus. He was my first scoutmaster when I joined the boy scouts. His idealism, vision and quiet encouragement taught me the virtues of patience and self-sacrifice at a turmultuous age.

2. Mark Hobler. He served my boyscout troop as an assistant scoutmaster. He complemented Paul Mikus perfectly. I learned from him how to measure the cost of undertakings I chose. His down-to-earth practicality inspired me to keep my feet on the ground even as my mind soared the clouds!

3. St. Francis of Assisi. His devotion to the Lord and to the least of his neighbors--the impoverished--fills me with awe. His commitment to Christ and our Lady as their troubadour of Love inspired my own desire to write for the Lord.

4. Pope John Paul the Great. His clarion call echoes in my soul and speaks to my greatest need: "Be not Afraid!" His life story, as written by George Weigel, left me nothing short of awe-struck. His example models the path to holiness that I seek to walk to this day. I am so grateful to God that he raised up for us a might prophet and great saint!

5. Elizabeth Tucker. This professor of English still teaches courses in folklore at Binghamton Univeristy. She looked me in the eye one day and said, "You are a gifted writer!" She validated a passion that I had felt such ambivalence about. If writers require permission, she gave me hers!

6. Bonnie Reuben. I worked with Bonnie for three years when I was a teaching assistant. She and I taught a self-contained class of 7th/8th grade students with mental handicapping conditions. She has an enormous capacity for finding ways to connect with our students. She also possessed the uncanny ability to match a child to the most appropriate material for his or her needs. I learned a tremendous amount about the art of teaching from working with her.

7. St. Don Bosco. Anytime I wonder why I'm still working with troubled teenagers in the Bronx, I remember the patron saint of youth. I'm a Don Bosco Prep High School alumnus, class of 1989. A Salesian brother has told me that this makes me "family", i.e. part of the Salesian family. As a teacher of teens with special needs, I'm particularly inspired by Don Bosco's enormous ability to earn the trust of troubled youth. His enormous heart showered his "boys" with love that transformed their lives. He represents the best that all teachers can become.

8. St. Michael the Archangel. I chose his name as my confirmation name, and placed myself under his patronage. His role as defender of the Church touches a chord somewhere within my own soul. I, too, want to defend the defenseless and stand for the marginalized. I fail to deliver on this desire too often, but a legion of failures has not defeated this drive.

9. J.R.R. Tolkien. His monumental masterpiece has haunted me. I finished The Lord of the Rings in fifth grade; I signed up for course in TLOTR in college with the aforementioned Elizabeth Tucker just to read them again! Every fantasy writer since him has sought to recreate his epic. As an aspiring novelist with an abiding passion for fantasy and sci-fi, I'm no exception!

10. Carolyn Forche. Her poetry in The Country Between Us sets the standard that I strive to meet in my own poetry. I can thank another great influence in my life for introducing me to Ms. Forche's poetry, the late Constance Coiner.

There it is! Now it's my favorite time of any meme: the time to tag four others! Heh.

Winterr's Words, Catholic Pillow Fight, Pro Ecclesia, and the Curt Jester! Tag! You're it!