People that inspire me - Rocky Doering

There are 47 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #4 of 50 – Rocky Doering

Rocky (Ralph) Doering is my uncle.  Most of my life he has been known to everyone I know as “Uncle Rock.”  And the name Rock couldn’t be more fitting for multiple reasons.

My nephew Colton, brother Jim and uncle Rocky

He’s the younger brother of my mom and has always been in fixture in my life since the day I was born.  I grew up way out in the country about an hour east of Cincinnati while Rocky always lived in the city of Cincinnati but whenever I had a basketball game, track meet, go-kart race, just about any activity, he would often be there supporting me.  If you grew up with me and played sports you probably either knew Rocky or saw him often.

He’s always been a very self-disciplined guy but also one that loves to laugh and have a lot of fun.  Currently he’s the Vice President at Fund Evaluation Group LLC in Cincinnati and is a pretty darn good tennis player.  It’s probably the only sport he can beat me at and that’s always bothered me haha.

Generally you have the closest relationships with your immediate family members and sometimes your aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. go in and out of your life at various times.  Rocky has always been part of our immediate family and I imagine there are many others of us that feel the same way.  He loves to give his nephews a hard time (especially Jim haha) but it’s all in good fun and usually has a smile and laugh behind it.

Even though he’s a fun-loving guy, he’s also a very deep thinker so I was curious what his answers to the following questions would be.

I asked Rocky five questions, here are his responses …

Question 1:  If your life was a movie, what would the title be and who would play your part?

Rocky:  The title would be the same as my favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Not sure who would play my part.  I’ll leave that to you, since you are current regarding movies and actors.  Though it would have to be someone supremely handsome, infinitely intelligent and extremely personable…lol.  I first viewed this movie as a fourteen-year-old, eighth grader.  During the winter, our junior/senior high school administrators would gather all the kids into the auditorium and show a movie once a month.  This movie left a lasting impression on me.  It challenges you to think about how the world would be different had you never been born.  During the course of your lifetime, you will cross paths with many people.  For some people that enter your life, it will go on to be a life-long connection.  For others, it may seem like a fleeting moment in time.  You have the ability to leave a lasting impression on others.  What will your impact be?  Will it be constructive and positive?  Or something else?  I live my life treating others with courtesy, dignity and respect, striving to help others achieve their goals and leave positive impressions.  And it has been returned to me many times over during the course of my life.

(Note – I think Rocky could be played by Burt Reynolds around the Smoky and the Bandit years.  Or possibly John Schneider from the Dukes of Hazzard) 

Question 2:  If money was no option, what would you do for the rest of your life?

Rocky:  This is a really good question and one that is much more complex than it appears on the surface.  On one hand, one may be satisfied to move to a beach/island, lay out in the sun all day and drink exotic cocktails.  While I may be tempted to or even participate in this situation, I suspect it may become boring after a relatively short period of time.  Others may feel differently.  I believe in being physically active and intellectually curious to the best of my ability.  Therefore, I think laying around all day in the above scenario would quickly become monotonous and unfulfilling.  First, I would like to travel to meet new people, experience new cultures and destinations.  Next, being committed to life-long learning, I would attempt to add new skills and/or enhance existing skills.  Finally, I would find a way to use my talents and skills to benefit others.

Question 3:  What comes to mind when you think of your childhood?  

Rocky:  One word, “joyful.”  I had a wonderful support system growing up.  My parents, sister and brother-in-law, and aunts and uncles provided a fertile environment for the kids in our family.  In the city (suburbs), we played street baseball, basketball, football and kick-the-can just about every day.  We rode our bikes with great freedom around the surrounding neighborhoods and to the local swim club in the summer.   On school vacations and during the summer, I was lucky enough to visit my sister’s farm(s) and have fun with my nephews, riding horses, then dirt bikes, catching fish and frogs from the ponds and salamanders and crawdads from the creeks.  It was a great experience for a kid growing up and I still have very fond memories of that time in my life.

Question 4:  What have you yet to accomplish that you would very much like to happen?

Rocky:  To be a change agent for my family and to leave a positive legacy.

Question 5:  What does being successful mean to you?  

Rocky:  Doing your best every day in the service of others.

Final thoughts … Why is Rocky Doering inspirational to me?

As you can tell Rocky is an unselfish person in all walks of his life.  Knowing him, all the answers above are totally genuine.  Some people “talk the talk”, Rocky definitely “walks the walk.”  There are so many things I have looked up to him for throughout my own life and am very thankful that I had such a positive and supportive uncle that looked after me, encouraged me and sometimes kept me in check.

He’s also one of the first people I can ever remember that was very happy and single.  When I was a young person I looked up to my parents (who were happily married for over 50 years) as the model for how you should live a life.  But eventually I realized there wasn’t just one way to live a happy life and seeing Rocky as a happy, well-adjusted and all-around great person helped me think of things differently.  So to every female that wonders how I can be so happy single … blame Rocky.  Haha.

He cared for my grandmother (his mom) for a long time until her passing and even took her in to his home so he could provide as much assistance as he could while also working from home for a large portion of the time.  This was not a “couple weeks” sort of thing, this was for years.  He put much of the rest of his life on hold to make sure my grandmother was taken care of.  He wouldn’t have had it any other way.  That’s just the way he is.

Sometimes you get to choose friends in life that make a difference in who you are and sometimes you get lucky and have family members that do the same.  I’ve been very fortunate to have the best uncle anyone could ever ask for.  I don’t say it enough to most of the people in my life but, Uncle Rock, you have been an inspiration to so many people through the years.  Thank you for being my “Rock” in life!