Kermit the Frog, Bob Seger and Steve Prefontaine.
These names have probably never appeared together before, but they combine to be my greatest influences.
Sure my family and friends have molded me into the person I am, but these three larger-than-life characters have shaped my life.
Kermit was always the dreamer.
From the lonely lillypad where he sat strapped to his banjo to the Hollywood bigscreen, Kermit wasn't afraid to chase after his greatest aspirations.
Although just a green frog, he became a leader of a whole cast of bears, chickens, rats and whatever Gonzo was. He calmly handled the production of The Muppet Show each night, even though each episode teetered on chaos. The pressures he faced remind me of being on deadline each evening � there are always the moments of pure panic, but things usually work out. Plus, he had his constant
critics in Statler and Waldorf.
Looking back, it�s funny to see him as a reporter on Sesame Street and as an investigative journalist in The Great Muppet Caper movie because I had never realized his tie to newspapers.
Seger was always the writer.
Through his soulful lyrics, he tells the story of growing up in the hardworking Midwest.
I�ve always felt his words remind me of my father, especially as we would often crank up Seger songs as we went on roadtrips. Seger never wrote about himself; he always used others to inspire his songs about growing up and the pains of getting older.
When I was in high school, I often searched bookshelves for his biography. I never found it because it hasn�t been written. I�ve wanted to write it ever since, and that dream has led me into journalism.
Steve Prefontaine had the passion.
During his 24 years of life, Prefontaine re-energized the whole sport of running as he ran for University of Oregon.
He didn�t care about the limits others said he had. He broke nearly every distance record and he ran his own way.
I used to watch a movie about him called �Without Limits� before every race. I still have nearly every line of the movie memorized. He�s inspired me to run three marathons and I take that same passion I have for running and apply it to journalism.
Now I want to change the industry and find new ways to tell stories. Journalism can still be engaging and interactive and I must help find ways to push it forward.
I�ve used these three people to form my future.
Now I�m trying to follow their paths to be passionate, a dreamer and a soulful writer.