Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!

(NOTE:While it may seem odd for someone who doesn’t drink alcoholic beverages to talk about wine (at least to those who know me), I offer as my defense the example of Enrico Caruso’s voice teacher, who reputedly couldn’t sing a note!)

In a scene from the movie French Kiss, starring Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan, the two of them are discussing a childhood school project in which Kevin’s character, Luke, demonstrated how grapes (and consequently the wine made from them) were directly influenced by their environment. The scene is a poignant one, and may even be the heart of the movie as it presents the viewers with a rich and unexpected view into Luke’s heart and soul. “Wine is like people,” he says, and goes on to describe how all wines have a personality, which is directly influenced by what is in the ground, the air, and the water.

I found that to be a rather profound statement, which started me thinking about how each one of us is influenced by our respective environments, drawing much or little, as the case may be, from the events that surround us.

Some events are more dramatic than others, of course. Five years ago the events in New York City we refer to as “9/11” are an example of something (an influence) so overwhelming that, whether or not it touched us directly, has left its mark (its influence) indelibly upon us. Others are more subtle. Regional accents, for instance, are a result of speech patterns adopted from our parents since childhood. Most of us don’t even realize we have them (unless you’re from New Jersey – you guys have to know.)

We are completely surrounded every day by all sorts of large and small influences. Friends, traffic, co-workers, TV, music – literally everything that touches our lives has the potential to change us. What’s even more complicating is the fact that many events can produce different, even opposite reactions; even within ourselves. If someone hurts you – how do you react? Anger or forgiveness? Your answer can depend on other influences as well. (Having a good day? You’re more likely to forgive.)

The real question though, is not whether we’ll be changed (of course you will!), but how. And that, my fine feathered friends, is where the “rubber meets the road”. When you get right down to it, the choices are ours to make. What kind of “wine” each of us turns out to be largely depends upon us.

Are you “full-bodied, with a hint of sophistication”, or are you “flat, with a bitter aftertaste?” The choice, as always, is yours.

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!