I have never cared very much about what people call me, but for years most people have called me Michael. I get asked all of the time whether I prefer to be called Mike or Michael and I have a canned response. I tell everybody that when I was in high school one of my best friends was named Mike and that I was Michael and that was just how we were distinguished. I probably go through this routine every couple of weeks and have for years. Each time it reminds me of that Mike who used to be a huge part of my life and who, for many reasons, I am very grateful for. I don’t remember how I met Mike, I think he was a friend of a friend and I am sure that we started to hang out because we were friends with, and probably both trying to woo, the same girl. I remember that by the beginning of our junior year in high school that we were pretty close and that we got much closer through that year. I could write countless stories of adventures that Mike and I had tha...
This is my little project, designed to help me remember and honor some of the countless people that have helped to shape my life. These are people, from all phases of my life, which have somehow helped to shape me into what I am today. By no means is this list exhaustive, it is simply a sampling of the people who have made a real difference in my life.