I used to see my brother, Geeth Gunnampalli, as a rival rather than a friend and created this distance with him. We are actually the opposite in certain cases.
He’s an introvert, I am an extrovert. He likes to build virtually (computer science), while I like to build physically (mechanical engineering). We are almost polar opposites.
When I was in the second grade, I looked up to my brother constantly. I mean it. I used to play the same games as him, even try to be like him for a day. Even when he made mistakes, it never compared to the things I did for him as I tried doing the same ideas as him.
From the third to seventh grade, I hated my brother. I don’t know why I had this hatred towards him: I was jealous. He got accepted to University of Texas at Dallas, and the affection from my parents and had a drastic change in his lifestyle overall. He hated me too, but I never saw the real struggle he faced during this time.
Being the elder brother, there is this idea of doing things first and leading the youth on the right path. It is commonly seen in most elder-younger sibling relationships, but I was unaware.
As my parents left for India, the hate started to fade. Leaving my brother and I alone, my brother came back from his apartment that he moved into two days ago to take care of me. That is where we really bonded, as I did not have anyone else. What’s even funnier was that I was his moral support system while he panicked about the smallest things.
“I have this test and I have this-uh-uh..I don’t know what to do!!”
“Dude, chill. It is not that deep, go to the test head on.”
After this incident, I learned to respect my brother and ask him for help whenever I could. I learned the true realities of college and life from my brother’s blunders. Overall, he is the greatest guide.
He supports anything, even if it is irresponsible. Still, he supports me getting into Formula 1, trying to establish connections with anyone to get me in.
So, Annayya: I raise the podium to you this Thanksgiving. Thanks for being the continuous support I will ever have and need, as I will too someday.
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