8 Most Influential People in the World

Time magazine has published a list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. I would like to tell you about my Top 8 People.

They are divided into 4 categories: Leaders, Thinkers, Artists and Heroes. So here goes my list off the top of my head (this is not rocket science here…)

Leaders:
Sarah Palin. She has come out of nowhere (Alaska is not exactly mainstream America) to remind us of our more traditional values. Yet she is a strong woman who has a family, and works outside the home. This 46 year author and speaker is wildly popular and newsworthy despite having no political office or even a TV show!
Hillary Clinton. As Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton is the face of America to other countries. Although I do not always agree with her, I think her power certainly puts this 62 year old woman at the top.

Thinkers:
Mark Zuckerberg. As founder of Facebook where nearly 400 million people bare their lives on often a daily basis, I think he thought up a great idea. This 26 year old has more hate mail when he tweaks his site than any man on the planet.
Jonas Salk and other medical researchers. In 1952 he found a vaccine for Polio. Before Salk parents worried about their child suffering many levels of paralysis or ending up in an Iron Lung. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suffered from this disease and who knows how it affected his judgment in those critical years of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Today many safe vaccines and other life saving methods extend the life of our loved ones, giving us the gift of time.

Artists:
James Cameron. This 55 year old film producer is the genius behind Avatar. Need I say more?
Steve Jobs. You may love Apple products or find their closed corporate culture distasteful, but you cannot deny the impact this 54 year old man has had around the world. I want an iPad!

Heroes:
Robin Hood. Who could be more of a folk hero than one who robs from the rich and gives to the poor? Unless you are extraordinarily wealthy and never donate to the needy. Besides, my heart throb Russell Crowe is starring in the up-coming movie as Robin Hood. Do any women object?
Annie Oakley. She was an American sharpshooter who lived from 1860 to 1926. Her feats are unmatched even with today’s fine rifles. She helped her family pay their home mortgage while she was still a teen, by shooting game which was then sold. She advocated for women’s rights. Who was going to argue with an accurate rifle-toting lady? Her example has inspired many women to see themselves as equals to men when society was less enlightened. All the wealth she accumulated in her lifetime was given away to the less fortunate. A true hero.

So that is my quick list. Nothing earth shattering. Just doodling here.