A Life Investment

When Pasquinel got back to civilisation he needed a few months to recover for he was in really bad shape. He needed somebody to help him with money (to pay for what he needed including a boat) so he called his doctor friend who only gave him half the money. Pasquinel embarked on his trip again, determined to never return unless he had beaver pelts. As he came across Panawee lands he warned Rude Water (chief) that if his braves went after him again he would kill them all, with his fire stick. the Panawee agreed to leave him alone. he traded with the Cheyenne and got multiple beaver pelts. Not long afterward the Panawee were approaching him again, this time to tell him that they had captured a white man. After going back to the Panawee camp he asked to se the prisoner, it was a younger man called Alexander McKeag. He had been held hostage for 6 months now and was desperate to escape. Pasquinel negotiated McKeag's freedom in exchange for 50 silver bracelets and some beaver pelts. McKeag spoke many indian languages and helped Pasquinel trade, and grew to be good friends. Because of McKeag's translation of what Pasquinel wanted to say they got more pelts than any other trader, and seeing this had a good future they became partners.

Indians approaching with beaver pelts to trade

"Young McKeag was impressed by the assurance with which Pasquinel operated; the frenchman was only 8 years older, but he always seemed to know what to do" (Michener 185). In this quote the author tells us how McKeag looked up to Pasquinel, with admiration. McKeag reminded me of that moment in my life when I copied everything my older cousin used to do. If she wore a pink dress I wanted one and whenever she told me to do something it made perfect sense. To me it also seemed like my cousin "always knew what to do". The difference of my situation with McKeag's is that I did not know any better so I just did whatever my cousin did because I considered her smarter. on the contrary McKeag was already a grown man ready to make his own decisions and have his own opinions, still the frenchman was (according to McKeag's perception) a smart man who he could learn from. the people you look up to have an impact and influence in your life and can change who you are, influence who you become, like Pasquinel convinced McKeag to become his partner and McKeag only agreed because he looked up to the frenchman. 

click here for the impact of role models to see the effects of what we do

"Pasquinel defeated and Pasquinel victorious were two different men" (Michener 185). People change based on the outcome of the situation around them. We all have different sides to ourselves, when we are happy because it is our birthday is different than when we are happy because we are liberated from a burden. When we are sad because we fought with someone we act differently than when we are sad because we just lost someone we loved. Humans can change who they are, what they do just because the situation around them is different. A defeated man can be frustrated, and can either be determined to try again or give up but it all depends n the situation. the same man can act completely different if he came out victorious, if he accomplished what he wanted. 

I strongly believe people eventually will reveal who they are, if you get to see them in multiple situations you can know who this person really is and how they change (for the better or for worse) and you can see their true colours. 

Influence, by the individual or situation as a whole changes a person and that leaves me thinking, does anybody really know who they are? how do we change in other people's eyes in different situations? Truth is nobody can really decide how their life is going to be and everything around us, the people, the places and the situations we are put in shape the person we become.