Tears and Influences

Okay, I have a question. Does every writer, amateur or professional, need to have some sort of an influence [influences]? I remember one cold and scary night in London, when three very strange short people with the tallest ego you can ever find,entrapped me into some sort of an intervention.
Mr. HUGE EGO BECAUSE-I-WENT-TO-LSE-AND-OWN-MY-OWN-COMPANY-NOW, asked ever-so-politely, 'So you claim you have passion for writing, huh? So who are your influences?'. I stared at this bespectacled semi-monstrous man, blinked twice, looked at the floor hoping the correct answer will be secretly written on the floor. Sadly, the floor remained quiet and my eyelids refused to blink further. I looked at him, cleared my knotted voice and said, 'Uhh.. I like the funnies. So uh.. P.G. Wodehouse?' and flashed a nervous smile.

Have you ever seen the expression on your face when you are constipated? Well, there it was all over his face, screaming, 'MYPOOPWON'TCOMEOUT!'. My God, I thought, what did I say or do now? 'That is so much of a cliche, mimi [me], what sort of a writer are you if you do not have any genuine influence? If you were a part of any university here you would be eaten up alive.' And ofcourse, the other two nodded gravely at the nuisance good-for-nothing thing that I had become.
'Why are you surprised? She's an empty drum set. All noise but no substance', said the Madam Bloatary EmoHighness.
'In my days, a good whipping solved everything...blah blah blah..when I was a kid, I was awesome..blah blah blah', went on Mr. Partyshifter Blah blah.
Yes, the good old days. I sat staring into space, fighting back tears [I am a bit whiny]hoping I had been someone else , even the little flowerpot on the balcony.

But this sort of makes me question, is it really some sort of a neccesity to state an influence , a proper on not a 'cliche', in order for people to take you seriously as a writer? Were they right? Or are they just how I potrayed them to be? Bloated with egos.

So many questions. I really wish there was a right answer to all of this. It's hard to be taken seriouly as it is. Anyway, it's just a passing thought. I shall now go back to Bob and pink cookies.

Moo <3