Everyone has someone or something that inspires them. If
they don’t, they ought to find one. It may seem easy to be “original,” but you
have to know yourself and your influences in order to know what you are going
for.
I like to think of myself as being pretty original. Doesn’t
everyone? That doesn’t mean that I don’t
aspire to be like someone, though. In fact, there are four people, all very
different, whom I adore and wish to be like.
The first of these people is Audrey Hepburn. I must give my
roommate credit for introducing me to Audrey. (Thanks, Lauren!) She is a recent love of mine, but I don’t know
how I could have ever missed her. Audrey is beautiful, classy, and fun. Looking
through her photos, you can see her inner beauty radiating, no matter how old
she gets. She has a tender heart for animals, which is something I value most
of all, considering how my life revolves around animal rescue.
I love this sweet photo of Audrey and her deer.
Ellen DeGeneres is the second person on my list of
inspiration. Ellen gets a lot of bad attention for being a lesbian, but look at
her.
She does not care what others think. She lives by a philosophy
of being happy and enjoying life, which I respect to the highest degree. She is
caring and devoted to helping others, whether they are famous or not. In my
opinion, Ellen should be everyone’s
role model. Ellen also has a huge compassion for animals, and she makes it well
known. For someone so popular, Ellen does fame right.
This is a link one of
my favorite episodes of Ellen. She is talking with actress Kaley Cuoco about
her rescued pitbulls enjoying a hot tub. It is too funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2gXjuAorDk
My third role model is someone less well-known, but equally
important. Her name is Ellie Laks. She founded the Gentle Barn. The Gentle Barn
is a sanctuary where mistreated animals go. They are rescued and cared for as
they rehabilitate. The coolest part, however, is that every day of the week
different people can come love on the animals. These visitors range from
handicap children to at-risk youth. Anyone who needs a little compassion from a
furry friend is welcome.
I find the Gentle
Barn to be a magical place. I wrote Ellie Laks to tell her what an inspiration
she is to me, and she sent me a hand-written letter back, telling me that I was
a hero to her. Nothing could mean more to me. To learn more about The Gentle
Barn go to www.thegentlebarn.org
Look, here is Ellie from the Gentle Barn with Ellen DeGeneres and her
wife, Portia. Of course they are friends!
Finally, I come to my most personal role model. My
grandmother, Carol Dean Keys, is the most inspirational person in my life. She
has never treated anyone with anything less than a heart full of love, and the devotion
that she has put into our family is incomparable. My grandmother is my most
valued treasure, and I could not respect someone more. I want to give the same
amount of love and care to people as my grandmother does.
So, why are these role models so vital, you ask? Why are any
role models “vital,” for that matter?
I am my own person, but without guidance, I could follow a
misleading path. Seeing the way that these women have influenced so many people
inspires me. Because of the respect I have for these four women, I hope to grow
into a classy, happy, beautiful, loving, and compassionate (especially towards
animals) woman, just like them.
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