Day 26 - My brother Matt

Matt is four years older than me.  My bus drivers and teachers always knew my last name the first day of school; it wasn't with fond memories either.  Matt did (and still does) outrageous things that become standard stories among our family and friends. When Matt started high school he had the normal growth spurt that suddenly made him tall, dark, handsome and as an added bonus to most girls: dangerous.  My friends always gushed over how cute he was.  'My So-Called Life' was popular around the same time and Matt resembled Jordan Catalano.  With the exception of watching 'Billy Madison' and 'Dust Till Dawn' practically non-stop one summer, we grew apart those years he became cool.

He graduated from high school the year my dad was transferred to Houston.  He was going to University of Colorado in the Fall, so he wasn't technically moving with us, but he did drive down and stay with us that summer.  I finally felt like Matt and I were bonding as grown-up siblings on that drive down South.  For the majority of the trip, my parents drove one car, Matt drove the other and I rode shot-gun.  We joked and argued and I felt like he was really listening to me.  

The biggest impact Matt has had on my life thus far, was to steer me away from making bad choices when experimenting with drugs.  We had a long talk one night when he was living in Houston for a semester.  Essentially, I promised not to do anything stupid.  It was the perfect out anytime someone offered me something. 

 "No thanks, I promised my brother."