It was 2004 and I was just twelve years young. I was more interested in sports and video games than who was winning the presidential elections. The only thing I was able to vote for was who I wanted on my student council. My football team had just gone undefeated in our glorious seventh grade year and I was starting my first year of varsity alpine skiing. I was skeptical about the new sport but I wanted to experience the good ol' crispy winter air firsthand. Six years later, skiing was ultimately my best high school sport and now will be a passion for the remainder of my life. Football has to be a gift sent from god. I wasn't sure if I was going to continue my football career but I ended up sticking too it. Seven years later I find myself finished with another football season, at a whole new school and on a college team. So could you say the minor decisions to continue two of my favorite sports at the age twelve influenced today? Without a doubt. I ultimately chose a school where I could play sports and further my education as well.
Who knew that a couple of minor decisions such as those would ultimately tell me where I am going to school and how I share a forever burning love for two passions of mine that I will have for life. But what else was going on around me that was influential? I'll break down into a few different views: politics, culture, and sports.
Politics
George Bush was reelected for his second term as the president of the United States of America only beating John Kerry by 2% in popular vote polls and a small electoral vote spread of 35 votes. The Republicans stole the show but not without much controversy. Concerns were raised about various aspects of the voting process, including whether voting had been made accessible to all those entitled to vote, whether ineligible voters were registered, whether voters were registered multiple times, and whether the votes cast had been correctly counted. Nevertheless Mr. Bush was back for round two.
Ultimately some George's policies had an affect on our personal business and the financial status of my household. Whether he is to blame for part of the current economic situation is arguable but the current situation has made it hard to pay for college and hard on my family monetarily. Weird to think of the political decisions made by eligible voters in 2004 made an impact on my personal when I couldn't even vote.Culture
Music artists such as Usher, Lil' Jon, Maroon 5, Beyonce, and Kelis all had songs in the top ten pop songs. But why do I narrow it down to pop songs? As much as I hate to admit it, this was my favorite music at the time. No regrets though because the pound of the bass and treble from these songs only furthered my curiosity in multiple music genres. The love of music started at about age twelve and I credit it to helping me through the good and bad times since 2004. Looking at where these artists are today reflects which ones' I should look to as role models. If they are successful and have some moral message or inspiration in their music then I would say they most definitely influenced my music personality today, considering these are the types of artists I prefer.
But in hindsight were the songs and music videos a good influence? Check out this video of one of my favorite songs of the type Yeah! by Usher.
Usher- Yeah!
These were my first images of being a pop celebrity and what their lifestyle entailed. It may have been a negative influence on the portrayal of young women. Luckily, I had amazing parents who made sure I would end up as a gentlemen and not like some of the artists I idolized.
Last but not least, my personal favorite section:
Sports
Football-NFL
-Tom Brady led his New England Patriots to yet another super bowl win over the Carolina Panthers 32-29
-Peyton Manning threw his 49th touchdown pass to pass Dan Marino as the all-time leader in passing touchdown
Basketball-NBA
-The Detroit Pistons win their third ever NBA championship over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers winning the series 4-1
Olympics-International
-Michael Phelps wins 6 gold medals and 2 bronze medals to help the USA win the most medals for swimming
-202 nations competed in the games; the most nations ever at the olympic games
But how do any of these sports facts influence me? The determination and drive of Michael Phelps helped light a fire within me to become a better and more focused athlete, eventually placing me where I am today. Seeing great quarterbacks like Tom Bray and Peyton Manning play inspired me to become a leader not only in sports but in life. They portrayed an image that it was ok to be yourself and take your own direction. I idolized the individuality of men like them and it built my person image. One final thought was the 202 nations that competed together at the olympic games. It made me realize that there were so many other people and influences across the world. It inspired my love for travel and experiencing new cultures. The presence of 202 nations coming together for one common cause was utterly amazing to the young twelve your mind I possessed.
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