A Letter to my Little Brother

Dear Chris,
You always complained and asked why I was so picky with near everything you did. You always claimed I was mean, and did it only for that reason. I did get harsh, but I had good reason. You were, and still are, a stubborn butthead much like me. If you hating me for a little while was what it took, I accepted that. I did not want you to do dumb, annoying things or to give people anything to use against you. Those bullies use anything they can find. While still allowing you to be yourself, I had to stop, warn, or at least make you think about doing certain things. I felt it was my job to guide you. Dad allowed me to do this because he figured you'd listen to me the best. Mom got mad at me for upsetting you so much, but you just took things to heart too much. I am not really sorry, as I see how you turned out alright. I hope you realize, too, that I was right and it worked.
Love,
Michael

Who do I look to?

I try not to look up to any one person too much. No one person is a perfect example. However, my friends do inspire me. It is their fault that I am who I am today. If they have a beneficial habit, I try to mimic it. If my friends have a bad habit, I will learn from it and try my hardest to avoid it. If it were not for my friends, I would be completely happy with Bs in school. Now that is not the case. I have smart friends, so now As are all I can get and still be satisfied. I am very competitive when it comes to grades now. In grades six through eight, my friends Andrew and Michael competed and I soon joined. I have carried that competitiveness with me ever since. My friends do not even have to compete with me. I just want to do better for myself. In a way, I guess I could say that my friends inspired me to be so driven towards As and I just continued.