Inspire – literally – to breathe in… to fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. This is a call-to-action list rather than a list of admirable qualities.
These prompts make me think of lists, not poem, not essays, but lists. So be it. The list changes from time to time throughout my lifetime depending on who I spend the most time with. Some people inspire me from a distance and some from right in my own house. The links I’ve included show many of the wonderful experiences I’ve had with some of the people listed below.
Not in Any Specific Order I’m Inspired to:
- Go to church – seek God – make wise choices – my mother, many pastors and friends through the years.
- Buy real estate rather than gold or CDs – My dad and my husband – both realtors
- Clean my house – my grandmother, my sister-in-law, Cindy
- Blog – Steve Woods – former co-worker who started me, a vast community of bloggers over the 10 years I’ve been blogging, especially my first friend and traveling buddy Carol.
- Photography – My dad, Cee Neuner, and Leanne Cole have given me lessons and I learn every day from the Photo Challenge friends I’ve made.
- Journalism – Interviewing -my 7th – 9th grade English teacher and journalism advisor
- Teach – my long-time friend Jan Norris and my mom and my many friends and colleagues in Tulare County, California both in Woodlake Schools and Tulare County Office of Education
- Knit – my friend Lois Sprague
- Sew – my grandma, my mom and my friends Connie Smith and Carmen Friesen
- Write – my dad, my fifth-grade teacher along with a lot of encouragement from blogging friends especially Norah Colvin who was one of my Beta Readers of my unpublished novel, Girls on Fire. I am also very appreciative of my Story Chat authors who share their writing every month with you, my poetry friend Colleen Chesebro and my friends at Carrot Ranch.
- Exercising: my husband, Vince, my friend Jan Norris, and recently Cindy Georgakas
- Contributing to the community – my friends from Kiwanis of Woodlake especially Sally Pace and Linda LaFleur.
- Learn and Understand History – my friends from California Council for the Social Studies and San Joaquin Valley Council for the Social Studies especially Jim and Peg Hill, Mary Janzen, Laurie Mosier, Deborah Granger, Leslie Smith, Avi Black, and Michelle Herczog, and of course, my late friend and Holocaust survivor Elane Geller.
- Laugh out Loud – blow cola or milk out my nose laugh- my brother, Randy, my first husband, Mark, Vince, our new neighbors Dan and Scott (not related), and our late friend Spencer Morris.
- Being someone to lean on – longtime friend Jean, my husband, Vince, my mom, and all my neighbors and friends
#Bloganuary #blogprompt
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Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
69 responses to “Bloganuary: My Personal List of Influencers”
I was impressed with your topical arrangement of influencers. Well done post!
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Thanks so much!
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I bookmarked this post to come back and pour over the list a bit more –
and love that photo from 1992
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Thanks, Yvette. It’s one of my favorites. ๐
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What a wonderful list of influencers and inspiring folks who helped shape who you are today, Marsha! We educators really understand the values of what we can learn from others. Looks like you are having a good time with Bloganuary!
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I am are you? The prompts are kind of elementary for some people, but I don’t mind. They are sort of like those awards that we used to get when we first started blogging. But they are what you make of them.
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You have been blessed by many fellow teachers. I’m honored to have made the list ๐ ๐
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I have been. Most of them donโt know they made the list any more than I know if Iโve made anyoneโs list.
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What an honor to be included in your list of influencers, Marsha. I’m stunned. Thank you so much. The best thing is that you write syllabic poetry now. How cool is that? I wish you the happiest of new Year’s! Onward and upward in our writing. โค
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Thank you for introducing me to it. I haven’t gotten very expansive in my syllabic poetry writing, but I love doing it. It is so easy for me to write them compared to form poetry where I have to rhyme, make sense, have the rhythm correct… When I want a real challenge, I’ll do that, but I love the basic Haiku.
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Haiku and senryu are addicting, for sure. I’m glad you enjoy these forms. My next book will take a deep dive into haiku and senryu. I love haiku, too. โค
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Iโm looking forward to it. Iโm going to try to expand into the other forms more this year like senyru. It shouldnโt be the learning curve it was when I started. BTW, I think Iโve come into my own this year with the quotes. That was a lesson in perseverance! Iโm focusing on fewer topics this year and collaborating in different ways. So a new exciting year!
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Yes! I knew you would find your own rhythm. Let the quote guide you! ๐ฅณ๐โค๏ธ
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Wonderfully expressed. You made me think of my own as I went down your list.
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Thank you, Dawn!
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how wonderful to have so many influencers, and to show your gratitude to them…
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Thanks, Jim. I’m sure you have many yourself. We all do. I didn’t even mention famous ones that affected all of our lives on a grand scale.
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the list goes on and on…
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Leanne Cole is one of the first photography bloggers I started to follow. I see she has backed away from the photo part of her blog and has gone on to different aspects of her life. I still read her posts, but not as regularly as I once did.
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I talk to her on Messenger sometimes, but it’s been a couple of months. I doubt if she knows that her link goes to a pdf file about sex and dating. She has a video channel I follow on YouTube.
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Youโve picked up inspiration from lot of people Marsh. A wonderful post
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Thank you, Sadje. I’m sure you have as well. It is kind of how life works, isn’t it?
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Oh yes, I definitely have. Youโre very right.
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This is fabulous. Clearly you have a lot of inspiration in your life. ๐
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Yes, I do. You’d think I would have turned out a lot more accomplished than I am! LOL
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Iโm sure youโre very accomplished!
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Aww, thank you I spend a lot of time writing and taking pictures and blogging.
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Good for you. Enjoy! ๐๐
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I love your list of inspirations. It’s help me to start generating my own list! Thank you!
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I’m sure you have a long one because look how accomplished you are. We never get there alone, do we?
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[…] What made me laugh, was trying to spell Bloganuary. Blogunery. Blog-u-anu-nerry. Blog-an-new-neri-eri-iy. It’s a special kind of wickedness to invent such a name. I felt like I was getting a blog-aneuriary-sym. Luckily, I found Marsha’s post. […]
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What a lovely post Marsha!
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Thank you so much, Aletta!
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What a creative way to share what and who inspires you Marsha and I’m so honored to be on the list with all of your other wonderful friends and things that bring you joy! You have an incredible support network and I LOVE the picture with your mother.
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Thanks, Cindy.
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You’re so welcome my friend!๐
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That’s an interesting post about activities you are inspired to do and by whom. I may consider such a list myself.
P.S. Thank you for including me on your list. I was surprised – pleasantly. ๐๐
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You have meant a great deal to me in my writing and blogging life even though I haven’t published GOF -yet, you made me feel good about it. ๐
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I’m looking forward to reading GOF in print one day, Marsha. Your friendship and support means a lot to me too. ๐
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Thank you, my friend. I’ve learned a lot in the intervening years. We’ll see.
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We’re always learning – that’s what keeps us alive. ๐
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Readilearn, right? I’m always ready to learn. ๐
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That’s it, Marsha. ๐
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I like how you did it with a list, Marsha! I imagine you have story after story about these influences! โค
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Indeed I do, but I won’t bore you with them all! I get carried away!
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Iโll write a book about the influences that shape my life. I wrote some short stories already, but Iโll continue to write.
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You are amazing. I can’t wait to meet you in person. ๐
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I really enjoyed this post and your list of influencers!
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Thank you, Anne. BTW, I sent a money order to you in the snail mail today. It should get there about the same time Manny does, I imagine. ๐
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That is very kind of you. I’m looking forward to meeting Manny.
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He feels the same. I look forward to seeing you all together. ๐
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I am honoured to be included in this list. Best wishes to you for 2022, my friend.
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You are a time-honored friend, and we have had amazing times together. I tried to include Leanne’s website, but it went to a porn article.
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What??? That’s weird.
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That’s what I thought, too. It was a PDF article only, not a full-blown website.
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A very inspiring post Marsha. I love how you listed all the influences. Lovely!
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Thank you so much, Alegria. Is that your name? What a happy name!
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Thanks Marsha! It means joy, as you may already know. And Iโm into spreading it everywhere. ๐
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Yes, I did know that. I didn’t know if it was your real name but it is lovely. One of my dear friends in CA is named Joy, and she is just that. My name means war-like or courageous. LOL Whatever was my mother thinking?
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Haha, your mom was probably thinking of the courageous side of it. ๐
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She was. I was born with a double harelip, and I’m sure she thought I would need courage. She was right, actually. I have always been relatively brave.
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Sorry to hear of the challenge you faced at birth Marsha. Your mom was right then.
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She was. It wasnโt my challenge at that point. I had a great doctor. I canโt imagine being able to correct that on a tiny baby.
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What a lovely post ๐
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Thanks, Willow. ๐
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