Just a little more than usual
Everyday, I’d say my wife, our kids, and the grandkids to a certain extent. Politically in a good way, probably Rachel Maddow, Pete Buttigieg; in a bad way, Donald Trump and the cast of doomsayers still propping him up.
Then there are the memories of folks no longer with us– my mom and dad, my brother. Certain comics and authors and a couple of seminary professors come to mind, along with an athlete or two.
On first thought, I’m not sure there are many. I’m not sure how much molding and shaping is left to do. There are people who, in the moment, still affect my outlook and evoke emotions. But my essential character, for better or worse, has been shaped already. It seems to be more a question of who were the biggest influences in my life.
I recently mentioned my father. He played a role, as did my mother. Then there are my wife, my siblings, a friend or two, a couple of seminary professors, various musicians that I’ve listened to, one or two athletes, including Bobby Orr.
Politicians either aggravate or resonate, depending on their personalities and platforms. I guess I’ve always gravitated toward the more humble voices, the peacemakers and dreamers, most of whom the world has never been quite ready for.
I make it sound like it’s “put a fork in me” time– I am who I am, and all that blather. But of course I still hold out for a moment or two of revelation, a teaching moment.
Now that I think about it and keep writing here, there are a few people who currently have my attention: Juval Noah Harari, Sam Harris, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. A triumvirate of secularists who, with the possible exception of Harris, speak respectfully of religious faith, but speak more fervently and forcefully about reason and logic and the blatant hypocrisy of supposedly “religious” people.
OK. So there are people I listen to, opinions with which I wrestle, and opportunities for enlightenment and maybe even growth. The reality remains, though, that the cast of influential voices may just keep changing.
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