under the influence

sometimes i wonder why people let others inhibit their way of life, or their thoughts..hell, even the way that they look or what they eat. these are the people in your life that try to impress or mimic the other...or on the other hand they are the people who are so influenced by others that they lose a sense of who they are and what they are all about. they get upset easily, and they reminisce too much. they struggle with history and maybe question things that normally they wouldn't...these people are impressionable, usually at a young age..but then again maybe not. they are the followers, not the leaders, but then again maybe not.
everyone has someone that they maybe look up to... that they aspire to be like in some way or another. maybe not in the whole sense, but it is someone who they would like to learn something from, maybe take away something from. maybe for you it is your father, or grandmother...for me its these people and more, because positive influence is never a bad thing...see, i have a friend of mine who is always on track with money. she is organized, and she cooks home cooked meals. she is "good people" in the words of my dad. she is admirable in the sense that she has a great "mom" vision and she has been a great person to look up to. she may not be old and wise but i have learned alot about paying bills, being semi - homemade as well as to be kind to those who i work around... in this sense i am okay with being impressionable. why wouldn't i be...she makes good impressions.
under the influence of someone on the flip side can be dangerous. this is for the people that are hooked on some one or something that does no good for them. they don't teach them how to balance a checkbook, or cook good dinners. they don't get along with your friends, and they sure as hell aren't your parents first picks for a significant other. they are the ones that give an edge or that change your favorite bands into theirs. they pull you to look into a lifestyle that was not your first pick... but for someone who is slightly impressionable... these things or people can be slightly hard to shake. they are usually good negotiators and hell, even fun to be around. they are trouble. so this brings me to the question; why can someone who is on the right track, who has big dreams and even bigger character be so easily placed under the influence of someone or something that does no good for them? someone who will bring them down, as well as others around them with no regard. why is the thought of jeopardizing all that is right in ones life worth the trouble of trying to make it all go away?
its like an addiction. an addiction that can, given the situation take years to break. in order to be "sober" from something like this it takes finding people who are influential in a good way. it takes being patient and it takes distance. it takes getting out of your own head for a while and getting back to what makes you whole...without that impressionable characteristic that got you in trouble in the first place. it is surrounding yourself with a lifestyle of substances that are not toxic. these are things like good friends, good family, solid morals and stronger standards. it is not trying to follow..but to lead, even if you're a leader by heart. it is not listening to whats hot, but hearing what is right, even if you thought you knew all along... its taking a leap of faith, even when you have missed a few steps prior, even if its a jump that is hard to make. it, at the end of the day is being the you that you would have been minus the influence of another.
so, don't act like an idiot if your not one, don't jump just because she did, and don't laugh if you don't think something is funny, because as i have found.. its always better to be you and be comfortable than trying to be some Cinderella just to wear a shoe that doesn't fit.