12/24/24: Again, since I am prohibited from answering the prompts, I decided to revisit this one, add some pics and make some other additions. Those additions will be in bold. The rest is the post in its original form from last year.
This could be a very, very long list, as I feel we are influenced by pretty much anything or anyone we come in contact with to some degree another.
However, since this asks for biggest influences, I’ll try to keep it manageable.
My mom for showing me the kind of person to be.
My dad for showing me the kind of person not to be.
My uncle for being the father that my dad couldn’t or wouldn’t be to me.
My deceased wife for showing me what a true fighter is.
My grandfather for showing me what a hard worker is.
My daughter, who has been by my side through thick and thin, for showing me what love and loyalty are.
All the fabulous folks here on WP who humble and inspire me with their creativity.
Catwoman, for putting up with me even on my worst of days, and showing me that better days are ahead.
Those are the biggest and most important ones in my life. When I was a younger fella, a lot of my influences were “stars”, like musicians, athletes, etc. Or superheroes from movies, books, etc. While that might seem shallow, I still find value in the things I learned to appreciate in life through them.
Eddie Van Halen inspired me to pick up the guitar and taught me what a beautiful gift music is.
Arnold Schwarzenegger showed me what hard work and perseverance can bring you.
Superman showed me the value in trying your best to do the right thing.
I could keep typing this list for hours on end, but I’ll just say that I try to learn a little bit from everyone I come in contact with. Not every influence is clear right out of the gate. Some of them might not hit us until much later in life, but there’s something to be learned from most anyone if we just pay a little attention.
The Beginning At Last 
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