Ever heard of the saying that every girl needs an older brother? Whether you have or haven’t, you’re about to find out why it is so true or at least why it is to me. Yes, I’m about to tell you about my older brother, Mario Gutierrez. While the order in which I wrote about each of my family members does not indicate who I like more than the other, there was a reason why I have waited to write about him. Of all the people I have ever known, he is the one that challenges me the most.
You see we are both the eldest of the genders so our personalities often clash. We see the world from two different perspectives and deal with things in our way. He likes to act like nothing is wrong and I like to talk about things. When we were younger, he often wouldn’t let me play with him and Eric because he said I had too many feelings. However, even behind his cool front I’ve always known deep down he appreciates my sensitivity. Otherwise who would have made him a sandwich when he was “running away” from home? (He wasn’t actually running away, he just said that because he was hungry and knew I was a sucker when it came to sad fates).
It is because of him that I have grown in my strength and confidence over the years. He has taught me to take charge of my own life. He pushes me to want to be the best version of myself and to not let anyone keep me from getting to the top or allowing anyone to second guess myself. He doesn’t know this, but he has a big influence on the way I make important decisions. I think about what he would do and what he would think of my decision. “You can do better.” That’s what I always hear. He knows my potential. He has known me my whole life. He watched me take my first steps and say my first words. Some of my favorite memories to bring up are the ones that involve us when we were kids. Eric and I thought he was the coolest kid. He always came up with the best games to play and when all of us should have gotten in trouble he would take all the blame. I owe a lot of my childhood to him. A lot of people wish they could go back to being a kid because things were so much easier then. And that’s true, but I prefer phrasing it by saying I wish I could go back to my childhood because that’s when I felt genuinely safe. I owe that to him too. There's just something about an older brother that makes you feel protected. Invincible. "If something is wrong, my older brother will take care of it."
I carry my childhood close to my heart and I’m often taken back to the past with his kid-like personality. That of course doesn’t mean to say that he’s immature because that is far from the truth. Of all of us, he has been the one that has had to grow up the fastest. When he graduated from high school he did not have the resources to go to college like I did. But that never stopped him from living a great life. At the age of 18 he was hired as a teller at one of the Wells Fargo branches and within months was promoted to be a personal banker. Now he is a supervisor at West America Bank and he is only 24. He has a good job, is one of the smartest guys I know, is in love, owns a BMW he paid for by himself, and is working on getting his trainer’s license. He is OBSESSED with working out and living a healthy lifestyle (don’t dare call it a diet, it’s a touchy subject). He was the first captain of the Justin Siena braves to lead the Varsity soccer team to the MCALS tournament in 2003 and he continues to play the sport he loves in an adult league as well as an indoor team with our brother Eric.
I know sometimes my older brother can be misunderstood, but I hope he knows he is one of my reasons to smile and that I am proud of him. Behind all that cool lies the heart of gold he got from our mother. Behind it all is that ninja turtle loving 5 year old kid we all love and know!
In the end, he always has our back!
Kuabunga! Love you Raccoon. <3
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