With whom do you have influence and what is the source of that influence? (position, title, age, experience, wisdom, etc.)

[Austin]

It seems I have influence on people in my family, my coworkers and even total strangers. I’ve had people walk up to and tell me that they had been watching me and they knew there was something special/different about me and that led to me being able to witness to them.

[Austin]

I’d say my best friends and probably some fellow brothers and sisters whom I’m closer with. As for my family… I’m not sure. Being the youngest in a traditional family… I haven’t had much in the way of influence.

[Austin]

That’s hard to say…..certainly my adult children somewhat, my husband, my mother…I don’t see myself as an “influencer”.

[Austin]

I’d love to say I have influence in my family (I’m the eldest daughter) and family business and even classroom, but alas, Egyptian families don’t listen to unmarried females on matters involving money (even at my age, lol), my little sisters are too “sophisticated” to listen to moi (*despite* my age, heh lol), and over the 15 years I had the pleasure of teaching college students their most terror-filled subject (public speaking, though intercultural and other fun things also), I think “my children” (some of whom were twice my age xD) felt I was too strict or too zany (it’s a delicate balancing act, to be sure, lol) — and too “Jesus Freak” to listen to. (I peppered them with such gems as “don’t even think about dating until you’re literally ready to marry” and “throw away thy TV” and “If happiness is the goal of your life, then you’ll 1) always be sad and 2) always be alone.”
Apart from such goings-on, I also believe I have much influence (though in the same vein as the classroom from a second ago) in various video-game related settings (mostly Discord servers) where most people are not only “not into religion” but fully against it (especially the only one that’s true, aka Relationship With Jesus <3

After Covid, I lost my platform at school (I have a sensitive immune system) and stopped frequenting Discord (which is basically a voice chat room for peeps of particular interests or groupings), though I’ve met several hundred people over Instagram and in MMOs, and nearly all of them are severely depressed or even suicidal. Many are neurodivergent (as I’d also be called) and while some turn into chums that last, a majority of them share a few intense hours chatting with me and then I never hear from them again. Every so often I’ll run into one and they’ll seem much better than they were on the night that I tried to be their friend and big sister, and it’s my fondest, dearest hope and prayers that even though they likely closed their ears the second I brought up Jesus The Precious LOVE And LORD Of Our Lives, they became curious about Him.

So in sum, I don’t think I have what anyone would call “ACTUAL” influence on anything at all (lol) BUT I do so hope that these dear people would chew a bit on the food-for-thought that I plunked down before them. (Unfortunately for them, I am, indeed, this chatty, and more, even, when interacting with them, hehe. Though I was raised in… Florida… I was partially raised back in Egypt (and actually used to write about political and faith and cultural issues back in the day, actually–ooh I forgot all about that! YES! I did, indeedy, have some influence for a few minutes anyway, lol 🙂 anyway, as I was saying, we Egyptians are culturally compelled to provide LOTS of delicious detail in any and all sorts of situation. (And we ask lots of questions, too! That’s one of the reasons I got to teaching intercultural communication, actually, lol. “Teaching unsuspecting peeps how to deal with those of my ilk.” xD

[Austin]

I have children and a few friends that I might have influence with.