Being 7 years old I was influenced by everything. If kids my age would ware a new shoe brand I would ware that new shoe brand. I was also influenced alot by things I saw on TV. If a character did a backflip on TV, I would try to do it. My habits needed to stop once I nearly came close to my sticky death.

Christmas was around the cold corner, being 7 years old, my face was implanted on the TV like flies on dog poop. I was watching anything I could find, getting anxious for the big day. Sometimes I thought Christmas would never come.  Since it was almost here, I was looking at the commercials for stupid stuff for kids, that I may want from Santa. My eye gravitated in the amazement of a new thing called “moon shoes”. I needed that, but I really didn't. It looked so cool in the commercial, I wouldn't want to be left out, if everyone was getting these fancy moon shoes. I wrote that awesome hip contraption down on my Christmas list and moved on to find more intriguing items that may catch my attention.

A Christmas show popped on the TV called Elf. In the movie, Buddy, the Elf and main character, pulls out a huge bag of noodles and pours syrup all over the noodles and then eats it. It reminds me of the conversation Buddy the Elf had with Emily, his real father’s wife. 

Emily said to Buddy, “You sure like sugar, huh?”
Buddy says, “Is there sugar in syrup?” 
Emily states, “Yes”. 
Then Buddy says, “Then YES!
We elves try to stick to the four main food groups:  candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

As a kid, I thought that looked amazingly good. I got sticky noodles on a plate, then I got a whole bottle of golden Aunt Jemima syrup and violently poured it all over the noodles. I looked very close at my plate, the golden syrup was so crisp and smooth that I could see my reflection. It was like I was looking into the mirror, my reflection was looking back at me. Like Pavlov’s dog, I was salivating. I twisted my fork humbly around the sticky mangled madness that was on my plate and shoved it down my throat. I immediately started choking. The syrup was was really calling my name, I had no control. The long gooey noodles were stuck to the back of my throat. I was dying. I got up and drank some water to wash down the noodles and then I was fine. I've never been so close to death before, especially by choking on such a sugary noodly treat. How could I be so susceptible to do this? Where is the voice in my head that says, “Adam, what are you doing?”

I realized I was easily influenced by things around me. I went back to the TV and turned it off, looked at my list and erased the moon shoes from the top of my list. Now whenever I see an add on TV I don't give in as easily as I used to. I guess I was an easy target at a young age when all kids want the coolest toys. I can't be easily influenced anymore, at least I don't try to be so vulnerable. 

Nine years later, it's hard to influence me. It can be a good thing to be easily influenced and a bad thing, but at least these days, I'm not choking on noodles anymore.