People Who Have Influenced Me Who Will Probably Never Know

First, a "Feel bad for me/proud of me!" note: I determined after last weekend that it's time for a change, both dietarily (which I've just decided is a word) and exercise-wise. So as of Sunday, I'm cutting back majorly on soda and making a point of exercising at least 25 minutes a day. The first two soda-less days were alright, but it turns out day three is a doozy, with a perpetual headache. But if that's what it takes, then, well, I'll take it.

Lately, and by that I mean the last two days, I've been thinking about what circumstances have shaped me into who I am now, and who helped along the way. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I may never actually interact with some of the people who have helped me the most, and I thought I'd make a list here. My internet presence is so minor that it's highly likely they'll never see this. But I'm OK with that; it's for my sake and yours.

Here goes it.

1. Chalene Johnson. This one may come as something of a surprise, unless you've been in our apartment and seen what's scrambled among the DVDs and Blu-Ray discs directly in front of our television. One of the DVDs that most frequently takes a spin is a collection of five workout sessions titled Turbo Jam. Turbo Jam is the invention of Chalene Johnson, a fitness professional who put together a program combining cardio, weight training, and ridiculous dance mixes (that she mixed herself!) in order to inspire people to exercise while having fun. If ever you see me and I'm in a decent shape, it means I'm on a Turbo Jam kick. I'm hoping this current one will be semi-permanent. Without these routines, I'd be much less motivated to exercise, and that's why I'm glad Chalene is around.

2. Chuck Klosterman. As is obvious by now, I'm an amateur pop culture writer, and my writing style wouldn't be nearly as developed without Chuck Klosterman and the books he wrote, particularly Killing Yourself to Live. He seamlessly blends personal narrative with critique and commentary on the quirkier aspects of our current pop culture climate, and in my mind, he does it better than anyone else out there. He makes me want to write beautifully, although he isn't the only one.

3. Noel Murray and, to a certain extent, the rest of the A.V. Club. Outside of iGoogle, I don't think there's a site I frequent more than the A.V. Club, the Onion's sister pop culture publication. There's no satire here. Instead, AVC is a compendium of reviews and perspectives on pop culture new and old. Here I've learned that it's possible to write beautifully about all mediums, television in particular. Noel Murray writes about both Lost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and his Lost summaries are nothing short of fantastic, inspiring amateur analysis and sparkling discussion on a weekly basis. It's another key reason, beyond the obvious "Bye bye, second best show ever" reason, that I'll miss Lost when it's gone.

4. Jerry Spinelli. I could wax philosophical all day on why Stargirl is one of my favorite books, why it made me think about conformity in a radically different way, and how I don't think anyone could capture and analyze high school life so brilliantly ever again. But that's all I really have to say. This is a beautiful book, and it's not just a great read--it has a lasting impact I'm not sure you'll find anywhere else. I'd love to shake this man's hand.

Honorable mentions: Fiona Apple makes me want to express my emotions loudly and proudly, Nick Hornby taught me how to read ... again, and Rob Sheffield helped me to recognize that beauty can come from personal disaster.

That's all. I hope you feel the same about some others and give them some accolades for what they've done for you.

Also, this:


Love her.