Positive Influences
Brandon Dobbs
ENGL 1100.46

Here are a few related events during the course of my life that have had a positive influence on me and help me enjoy life to the fullest. Reading the sport section, listening to country music, and reading various magazines has helped me understand how these broad forms of literature add a significance element in my life.

A major part of my life is based on sports, so obviously, the sport section of my hometown newspaper, the Dunn Daily Record, is an enjoyable form of reading material for me. It provides highlights from all levels of sports including pro, college, high school, and local stats. The main sports that I am interested in are baseball, high school, and local sports, but I do enjoy reading about pro and college level basketball, football, golf, and hockey. I feel that it is important to read the sports section in my hometown newspaper because I have been in it, along with my brother, and all my friends from within my county and region. I know one day when I am old and have kids that I really will enjoy seeing my children in the sports section, as my parents do. They are always cutting out the articles and putting them on the refrigerator. The primary interest for me in the sports section while I attended high school was to evaluate the baseball stats. It helped me to prepare for knowing what I was up against in the next game. The sport section in my hometown newspaper will always have a lasting effect on me, as I will go back to it all the way through my life.

I am a music lover and I really listen to the lyrics in a song and understand them instead of just listening to the beat. Music lyrics have recently been a huge part of my life, as they bring me closer to God. Country music does, anyways. I have only been listening to country music since a little after the World Trade Center fell and we have had all this trouble with terrorism. I never really cared for country music most of my life, until I gave it a chance and started listening to the lyrics. A particular artist that made me fall in love with country music is Toby Keith. I admire his songs in support of the United States going to war and about why America is the "home of the free and the land of the brave." I respect this man’s words through his singing and I am glad he shows and shares his opinion this way instead of using vulgar language as some artists do. Another reason I fell in love with country music is because I can relate to it. Growing up in the South and being raised on a farm, working in the fields and around the farm with my grandparents is, in general, where the roots of country come from. So, country music is very emotional and makes me think about life, the Lord, the hard times we face, and the good times and traditions that we have.

Magazines, which I read most often, are just a joyful form of reading for me, mainly because they have interesting topics with lots of pictures added in, and most have helpful hints about things that interest me. I usually read Wakeboarding, ESPN, Muscle and Fitness, and a several car magazines. Looking through the magazines of a local grocery store I spotted a magazine with incredible stunts in it that immediately caught my attention, Wakeboarding. I started to read wakeboard magazines because they showcase a sport that I enjoy doing with my family and friends since my dad and his side of the family has skied for years. Mostly anything that supports my family interests, I read. I can’t just wakeboard by myself because I need a boat driver. This is what makes the sport more family-oriented for me and my family. Dad drives the boat, while mom is just hoping I don’t break my neck, and my brother and some of our friends enjoy watching as they wait excitedly for their turn. This extreme sport just simply brings family and friends together and provides us with something we all can enjoy, which is why I guess I could say this has had a lasting effect on my life with the way I interact with my family and friends.

I also read this magazine to see what the latest trends are. What are the riders wearing? What is the style? One of my favorite sections in the wakeboarding magazine is the session’s section. This section illustrates wakeboarding in tropical islands, sunny beaches, and places so beautiful that we couldn’t even dream about visiting them. Under each picture, there is a paragraph explaining the location and the rider. I guess after reading all of them I want to trade places with the wakeboarders in the magazine and enjoy what would cost a fortune to mimic. Another reason why I read the magazine is for the product reviews and the latest gear guides. It tells me information about all the equipment so I can decide what is best for me, and it shows me where I can purchase the items. And everyone knows the best equipment in a sport will help anyone improve their skill level. The most important part of the magazine is the trick tips section that tells how to throw down all the spectacular tricks the pros are doing, but also includes tips for all skill levels. It is a great feeling to read the trick tip of a move I always wished I could do but thought it to be impossible, then go out and attempt it, and stick the landing the first time. I could never imagine reading something could actually help me in this way.

What guy doesn’t like to read a sports magazine, like the popular ESPN? Well, maybe a few, but being a sports fanatic, I love to read it. My dad and I can both enjoy reading ESPN because he has been a baseball, basketball, football, and a golf coach. I believe me and my dad enjoying the same magazine brings us closer together in that we understand each other through sports. He has always been my coach throughout the younger years of my life, and now, since I am older and he is unable to be my coach because I am away at college, he still pushes me to love and succeed in sports, gives me tips, and even still practices with me. I enjoy reading highlights and scores of all the pro and college teams. I really appreciate what the professional athletes demonstrate in this magazine. From the awesome pictures, to the tips for being a better athlete, this is one magazine that has helped create a common bond between me and my dad.

I read a variety of health and fitness magazines for the sole purpose of bettering my image, physical condition, and just to make me feel better. These magazines show me the proper way to stay fit, which is important because there is a wrong way that can damage my body over time. Weightlifting is a hobby of mine and I just don’t do it because I need to. Most people find weightlifting boring and can’t stay with it. There is a vast deal of activities for which being stronger will only help the situation. For me, it helps with baseball and wakeboarding. The health and fitness magazines inform me which foods help me trim weight and gain muscle mass and which ones just add fat and make me feel slow and sluggish. It also gives me an array of information about supplements and vitamins. Readers need to know which ones are legal and the side effects of all the drugs like creatine and fat burners. The health and fitness magazines positively affect my life by making me more capable at athletic activities, making me enjoy my body, and keeping me in great health.

The last kind of magazine that I read is about various types of cars, ranging from import tuners to American muscle. My grandfather grew up owning a gas station with a service shop beside it. He and my dad worked on cars for years while my father was driving a different car about every two months. I guess I can say that my grandpa had an influence with my love of cars. Well, since I am a car lover, I have subscribed to just about every kind of car magazine possible. The magazines show the latest and greatest equipment to keep cars looking, feeling, and driving like new everyday. This is what started me into the habit of washing my car every week, just for the pure enjoyment of having a beautiful, shining car.

One article that caught my attention last year was about drag racing It looked entertaining and exhilarating! I knew several of my friends had their own cars that they drag raced, so I got in touch with them and headed to the track for the first time on a warm Sunday afternoon. As we pulled up to the entrance, I couldn’t believe my eyes because of the caliber of cars that attended that day. Some of these cars I wouldn’t ever be able to afford. I saw Mustangs with about 50,000 dollars of add-ons and even Dodge Vipers and exotics. After looking around, we unloaded a friend’s 600-horsepower Nova from the trailer. This is when I started to learn more about the complications and building of engines. The great thing about that day was that I could ride in the passenger seat during the race if I had a helmet, and that I did in my friend’s Nova. We pulled up next to the line at the start of the race to face a Dodge Viper. When the light went green, the Nova had so much torque that it rode a wheelie off the line, and I never have experienced anything so invigorating in my entire life. The good news is we won that race in the 1/8 of a mile. Drag races now are something that I can do with my friends on a regular basis, all thanks to inheriting my love of cars from my grandfather and learning about the races from magazines.

Now that my fascinating stories have been in print, people can understand how sports, music, magazines, etc. are an immense part of my life and that these positive influences have had a lasting effect on my life. Writing a literacy narrative opened up my mind to an assortment of literature that plays a huge character in my life.