"I saw Cady Heron wearing army pants and flip flops, so I bought army pants and flip flops."
Whether intentional or not, the decisions you make can influence a choice another individual makes. The same can be said about another person having an impact on you; something he or she says or does can influence an opinion you have or something you do. Maybe you decide to avoid a certain food because you saw a health advisory on the news, or maybe you decide to buy a particular brand of jeans because you saw your favorite celebrity wearing them.
In "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World," Esteban affects an entire village so much that they change their lifestyle and life choices simply because his corpse washed up from the sea. They drop everything they're doing and tend to this deceased man, creating havoc not just in their own village, but also in the neighboring villages. The men determinedly searched left and right to find the mysterious man's home. The women fawned over him, sewing him clothes and cleaning his body to reveal a now, gorgeous face. Obviously, Esteban was unaware of the reaction that his remains left. Fortunately for him, his impact was a positive one on the village. Unknowingly, Esteban made a small area put themselves to the test, making them determined to find his home and make him comfortable. Although, in life, not everyone is going to leave such an impact behind. For instance, in the major motion picture Mean Girls, Regina George demands to leave the all-girl conference held in the gymnasium. Thus, Ms. Norbury asks the popular line, "How many of you have ever felt personally victimized by Regina George?" Everyone in the gymnasium, including teachers, raises their hands. Regina's actions and words, in comparison to Esteban's, were so negative that the whole student body and staff were affected by them. Although her impact was horrible, everyone still wanted approval from Regina. The females even went as far as to cut holes out of their shirts, just because Regina did. The point is, one person can truly change someone's life by their actions or words. We could be like Esteban, whose inspirational action was just his dead body drifting to shore, or we could be like Regina George who was a bully and left a negative impact or anyone that was encountered. The choice is yours, so choose wisely.
Even after Esteban's body had been shipped back out to sea, his spirit remained with the village, affecting how they lived their lives. The locals created houses with larger room and door frames, all in the name of Esteban because he was a giant. To me, this symbolized when a person in the public eye passes away, that individual continues to impact people, even from beyond the grave. When Steven Jobs passed away, the legacy he left behind was astounding. In death, he still remains not only to weigh in on someone's choice on whether they purchase a laptop, or an iPad, but also to inspire a person to strive for their dreams, and possibly become an entrepreneur. Steven Jobs' story is alike Esteban's in the ways of people changing how they lived after he was gone, just because people admired him.
In life, everyone is going to have someone who has a certain influence over a decision that they make. Whether intentional or not, what you say or do could affect an entire nation. Or, maybe just your high school.
