Tag: good influence

Good Influencers

My last post mentioned that I didn’t want to do a lot of the self-promotion and marketing (and shilling for businesses) that stereotypical influencers do. I find it boring, repetitive, and fake.

Nonetheless, I know of a few people who make money from their online presence but avoid the influencer pitfalls. They manage to promote themselves while providing interesting or fun content, and genuinely give back more than they earn in subscriptions or however they earn. If I ever were someone with an adoring fan club, these would be my role models.

Here are three examples of people whose writing, photographs, and “brand” I enjoy. There are more, and I’ll mention them later when appropriate.

My favorite influencer is Franklin Habit, someone I’ve actually met because I took a class or two on knitting from him. He’s a creative knitter, builder of miniature houses, artist, and comic essayist. Reading about his life for the past many years has been a lot of fun. He can be sweet, generous, prickly, and sad all in one piece of writing. And he does NOT hesitate to say what he thinks is wrong in the world (often hilariously).

What I admire most in Habit, though, is his ability to share his life stories yet manage to reveal nothing whatsoever about his personal life. That takes skill. Even if you aren’t a knitter, you might enjoy his adventures in his adopted country, France, and his surprising hobbies. I happily give his Patreon account some money every month.

He wrote this cute book.

A newer favorite, who more obviously has a drive for marketing, is Misha from dontcrosssagayman. He’s “everyone’s gay best friend” (not mine, because I already had one before I found Misha). He loves selfies, sashays his way through Austin, Texas, and is very sweet to his adoring crowd of “besties” who really seem uplifted by him. Like Franklin Habit, he doesn’t hesitate to give his opinions and tsk-tsk folks who do him or others wrong. But he seems genuinely sweet and always looking for ways to be kind to others (in a sometimes self-promoting way). I find he gives me good ideas for good deeds and just knowing he’s out there flying his rainbow flag gives me hope for this world. At least he’s influencing for good.

This man has many faces and hairstyles.

Finally I want to encourage everyone to be influenced by Rev. Jim Rigby, who is the person who’d be my minister if I could do any organized religion again. His version of Christianity, which focuses on being like Jesus was, is admirable, and his analysis of current events is very thoughtful. He’s another one who gives me hope and encouragement to keep moving forward. I’m very jealous of my friends who get to go to his church in an Austin suburb. (note to all my Progressive Christian clergy friends: you all inspire me with your efforts to fight the tide of groups and institutions that are Christian in name but not deed.)

If Nature weren’t my church, I’d go here )they have other good leaders, too)

I’m done with influencers for a while. I just got an urge to figure out what I think of them. I guess I conclude that if someone has thousands of followers but is encouraging them to be better people, then I’m fine with them influencing.

Pause to look at autumn grasses.

Now for a funny photo of me for my dear Donita

I got my hair trimmed and now see how thin it is. Wah.
I’m no Misha in my Mr Peabody glasses and weird straight hair. I don’t recognize myself. I’m also done with selfies.

My Dad Was a Good Guy

Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.

It may be unsurprising for people to choose their father in responding to this prompt. Many people are positively influenced by their fathers, after all, and I’m privileged to be one of them.

Me and Dad in around 1985.

Now, I talk about my dad, Edwin Prince Kendall, often in the blog, both in positive and negative ways. As we were reflecting on our parents and how we would never give up on them, even when things get tough, my young friend Ellie and I agreed that our parents sacrificed a lot to help us have a good life.

Easter in about 1965.

If I had parents longer, I’d love to have helped them in return. But Dad only needed computer help and a listening ear, which I gladly lent him.

I want to focus on one positive influence dad had on me (no, not my morals, ethics, and political leanings, though he sure contributed to them). What I remember is how he got through emotionally painful times. I’m trying to use his example to help myself.

My mother died 40 years ago this week at age 62. She was sick for many years prior to that, as she dealt with various conditions exacerbated by her extreme depression and anxiety. Then repeated bouts of lung cancer required many hospitalizations and treatments. During this time, Dad was the sole provider for the family, and managed to contribute to my college expenses on top of all that (I worked and had a Merit Scholarship to help).

Mom, Maury, and our “sister,” Pumpkin in the late 1970s.

I know how stressful it was for him to watch Mom fade, especially as she could never stop smoking. Dad also traveled for work usually more than half the week, so my brother stayed at home during college so he could help with mom. That was a big sacrifice, but what people do for those they love. I truly appreciate it.

Dad always had his sense of humor, though, and strove to keep life “normal” as long as he could. I learned from this. Even in hard times, you can enjoy what’s still good.

Oddly, though, I think how he handled the stress was the best example. He’d get frustrated at Mom or me or my brother, for sure. And he had more than a few drinks. But mostly, he’d go outside and garden or build something. He used physical activity to help with stress, creating beauty everywhere. That’s a great example to follow.

Dad liked flowers as much as I do. Plus he had a green thumb.

I remember the last thing he built in our last house with Mom was a gazebo by our pool. I think she only got to sit in it a few times, but she watched him build it right outside her bedroom window and knew he loved her. Dad’s love didn’t waver when things got tough. That’s how I want to be.

My playhouse and treehouse he built when we were young.

Yep. Dad was a good guy and a good example in so many ways.