<p>I'm writing about the "influential person" common app prompt, but I'm really stuck on which idea to go with. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated :]</p>
<p>-Mom has MS: she is bitter and resentful because of her loss of control over her life and takes it out on my dad, my sister, and myself. A large part of her anger is her inability to return to work, so she has become quite stagnant-- she can't move on from the past and continue on with her life. From this, I have learned to live in the moment and take advantage of every opportunity because I never know when my life's path may be interrupted.</p>
<p>-Mom is very out of touch with the world: at a 4th of July event, she bought a Tea Party t-shirt for my dad (who is, like the rest of our family, strongly liberal) because she didn't understand who they were and what they stood for. She also believes everything she reads in chain mails and relies on the opinions of my aunt and uncle. Her lack of active participation in the world has shown me the value of awareness in our society.</p>
<p>-Being in my sister's shadow: people often think my sister and I are twins even though we are five years apart. We ARE very similar, in all sorts of ways. And even though I am a top student at my school, just like she was, I don't want to continue trying to live up to the legacy she left behind with her teachers. I've recently found out that she is just as lost and frustrated as I am, since she is struggling with whether or not she wants to go to medical school anymore when so many people expect her to. I've learned that we need to live life for ourselves and stop trying to please everyone else.</p>