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RangerG
Bounty Hunter
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Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Posts: 7301
Location: Gmail Server Number 126
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 Posted: 08/19/05 - 07:10 Post subject: What childhood influences formed who you are today?
For 4 generations, the men in my family have been Engineers. I grew up with every conecivable mechanincal and electrical piece of equipment in my dad's basement. I could weld at 10, rebuild a lawnmower engine at 12 etc....
When I was about 8, my dad got me the largest Gilbert Erector set made..quite a lot of money in the early 60's. A recent poll noted that most Mechanical Engineers had an Erector set as a kid. My mom used to get me Tom Swift books for good report cards, sort of a Mechanical "Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew" adventures.
I grew up in the country, and had the huge fortune to be taught by older Native Americans in the woodcraft skills. My parents had no problem with me being gone in the woods for days on end, a small surplus gas mask pouch filled with PB&J sammiches and a surplus canteen. I spent untold hours watching the comings and goings of all the animals within miles of my home. Boy Scouts were a bit of a letdown, and I knew more about camping than most of the Scoutmasters.
I am sure all these things in my past formed who I am as a professional, and my love for all things mechanical and the outdoors.
So the question is: What influences growing up, formed who you are today..both professional and in your private life?
Oh yea...I know I suck at spelling.. I chalk that up to the lack of knowledge in the 50's and 60's of ADD/ADHD...and my inability to focus in class. But then that is a subject for another thread..
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 21238
Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 07:17 Post subject:
Nothing professionally for me. My Grandpa was bullheaded and my Dad had an incredibly strong work ethic. I believe I'm a combination of them. 
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brie k
Member
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 5661
Location: where the wild things are
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 07:23 Post subject:
Well, my mother is a biotch, and my father is clumsy. I'm a clumsy biotch. Go figure.
I'm probably a little bit extroverted because of how I was raised. Mom and Dad moved a lot, and since I bounced back and forth between them, I was always going to new schools (4 high schools for instance). Which probably brings me to my parenting. It's still too soon to tell, but I have the idea that I won't let Kramer have the children if I can help it. I have thought for a long time that I'd be a much different person if one of my parents, either of them, had told me that I was stuck with them, period. I do not parent at all like mine parented me. This isn't always a good thing, but I'm still a work in progress.
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robp
Pyromaniac
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Joined: 26 Jul 2002
Posts: 16242
Location: Waiting in line at the beer store...
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 07:36 Post subject:
My dad, despite being born and raised in NYC, introduced me to the outdoors via camping trips, fishing and small game hunting. He really wasn't much of an outdoorsman but I took to it like a fly takes to.....
I must've gotten my love of sports from my mom as she was a good tennis player in her time and is still an excellent golfer.
Not sure where I got the desire or the ability for tinkering with old cars, trucks and bikes. Even though the old man had a Masters in Mechanical Engineering he had a hard time fixing anything. He could give you the theory behind anything mechanical though. My moms not very mechanically inclined either... 
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Noley
AZhat
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Joined: 16 Aug 2003
Posts: 10494
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 08:00 Post subject:
My Grandfather and Grandmother...especially Grandpa.
I've said this time and again.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 08:42 Post subject:
My parents and where they came from. Their intense poverty as children and young adults.
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Cappy
Excelent
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Joined: 16 May 2002
Posts: 27368
Location: Spreadsheetylvania
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 08:57 Post subject:
Parents were both volunteer fire/ems. Their example led to me getting involved. They also taught us at a young age, the value of hard work, working for things, and not having things handed to you, without working hard for them.
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TriBob
Member
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Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Posts: 5771
Location: Lost in Transition
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 09:32 Post subject:
Both my parents have a hard work ethic. The rest I set new ground. I was the first person on either side to get a college degree. My dad was a Philly Cop; but, that never interested me. I was always the science geek. Charter member of Discover mag back in grade school. I was going to go into physics and chem eng but you need a PhD in Physics to get a job so I ended up in computers.
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ShannonG
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Joined: 20 Mar 2003
Posts: 4858
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 10:12 Post subject:
I got nothin'.
I tend to feel I'm a product of my experiences, more than influence. But I left home pretty young.
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 16218
Location: unknown zone
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 10:40 Post subject:
my parents and mick jagger.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 10:45 Post subject:
Oh. And my siblings--but their influence was very negative and caused me to make some serious choices because of their behavior/actions.
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MechEngDropout
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Joined: 27 Jun 2003
Posts: 10474
Location: Off the grid
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 14:21 Post subject:
I'm not fully formed yet. 
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Cappy
Excelent
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Joined: 16 May 2002
Posts: 27368
Location: Spreadsheetylvania
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 14:26 Post subject:
| rolling rock wrote: | | my parents and mick jagger. |
Two of whom are both Viagra users 
Just sayin'
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Noley
AZhat
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Joined: 16 Aug 2003
Posts: 10494
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 14:28 Post subject:
You know, I had an HS math teacher who told me that I'd fail out and never amount to anything due to not understanding algebra. I got so torked off at him that I made an A in algebra from that point on whenever I took it and swore I'd become a teacher one day to be a better influence on kids than him.
He did influence me very much. 
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 16218
Location: unknown zone
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Posted: 08/19/05 - 14:36 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | rolling rock wrote: | | my parents and mick jagger. |
Two of whom are both Viagra users
Just sayin' |
help me cope.
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