I woke up Wednesday with a thought- maybe just maybe I have inspired someone the way that a particular someone inspired me so many years ago….
Growing up in the 70’s in a little town called Coon Rapids is where this story begins.
I grew up on a dirt road away from where all of my friends from school lived, so my Mom would have to drive me to see them. There was one particular neighborhood that it seemed like most everyone from my school lived. The houses were modest in size and all looked relatively the same style of a rambler. Dad went to work and typically the Moms were homemakers with immaculate homes. The decorating was small scaled and neutral with pops of moss green, burnt orange, gold and brown with shag carpet. And nine times out of ten there was a station wagon parked in the driveway.There were tons of kids with a park and even a candy store within walking distance. Totally different then my quite little dirt road where you had a few friends and fun consisted of playing in the pine trees. In fourth grade I met a new best friend named Lynn. The first time I came to her house (yes, same neighborhood) changed “me” forever. Even though their house fit the mold on the outside (except for her dads sports car) it was strangely and completely different on the inside. This is where it reminds me of one of my all-time favorite movies “Pleasantville” It wasn’t small cut-up rooms like all the other houses, it was open and expansive. The fireplace in the living room was right out of one of todays magazines with a guitar leaning up against the side of it and two rawhide directors chairs placed strategically in front of it. The kitchen was light, open and airy. The front living room had a piano with an oversized couch. A large glass jar with unusual candy also caught my eye. Lynn had large paper decorative balls hanging from her ceiling in her bedroom and her very own horse that was kept somewhere else. Then came the downstairs. If my mind wasn’t already blown enough, I opened the door to go down and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. The entire basement was structured to look like a horse barn. A main isle in the center creating stalls on both sides all the way back. The wood was all painted in white and each stall was designated for different interests?! Not sure. These are all vague memories from when I was 12! Apparently not only lasting memories for me but life changing as well. The pull was so strong to reach higher, color way outside of the lines and feel that insanely different environment that it impacted the way I chose to live my life. About 20 years ago on a day I was feeling nostalgic and grateful I made the phone call to my long lost friend Lynn. I felt compelled to ask her if she would please tell her Mom thank you for being such an inspiration in my life. She laughed! She said all of it was her Dad! Not one thing was her Mom. Completely not what I EVER expected to find out! Well, I will always be grateful for Lynn’s Dad! It takes many things, experiences and people along the course of your life to mold you into who you are- I for one am so grateful for being so deeply inspired by him and glad I had that opportunity growing up.
You never know whose life you might impact- I can only hope that maybe, just maybe I also have inspired and impacted someone as well <3
