Happy Birthday David

David isn't really 'little,' he is more than 6 feet tall with an athletic build. Currently a freshman at ISU, he is studying something with computers, electronics and technology. He likes to spend most of his free time listening to music and playing video games.

Most of you are probably thinking that he sounds like a typical teenager. Well he can be. My brother is a computer nerd, however, since he turned 16, one of his favorite things is to dye his hair.

Currently, it can be styled into a Mohawk, which is bright red at the base of his scalp and fades into an orange/yellow color at the tips. He says it looks like fire, I say it looks washed out. Did I mention that the Mohawk is so tall that when he drives his hair gets messed up from the roof of his car? One time his hair was black and white, it seriously reminded me of a skunk, and I won't deny it, both Samantha and I teased him mercifully! There was the time it was black and teal, I thought it was pretty and since I mentioned that to him, he has refused to go purple.

Yes, there is nothing like getting ready in the morning and your little brother spends more time doing his hair than you do, or he owns more hair products then both of his sisters combined. My dad actually worried when David would take more time to get ready to go some place then Samantha and I.

David also wears a lot of dark colors, I promise he wears pants that stay up around his waist. But he has a thing for dark shirts that are like a second layer of skin, he says it is so he can show off his muscles, I think it is because he is to lazy to go to the mall and if he did it wouldn't be clothes he would want to buy.

When he walks down the street, David has a tendency to attract attention. Some people look at him and laugh, some people make comments about his sexual orientation and a lot of people lock their car doors.

David is a good kid, he's never been in trouble and even at 19, he still can't look someone in the eye and lie (he has a set of dimples that always give it away). He is very much into girls and use to spend large quantities of time flirting with his sister's friends until he started dating Fayth.

My brother has a soft spot for animals. Unbeknownst to my parents, David used to feed every stray in the neighborhood, and he would secretly sneak them into his room. He has made the comment that he needs a pet for his dorm room, unfortunately he can't, so instead he comes to my house he plays with my chinchillas.

When I was going through the breakup with my high school sweetheart, it was David who stayed up late into the night and held me when I cried myself to sleep. Now that I am older and living on my own, David comes over just to spend time with me or play video games with Ryan. I think he lived at my house those first few weeks of school and honestly, I loved every minute of it.

When David was only 10-years-old, he took apart the family computer and put it back together. When he was 13, he built his own computer. David is amazing with numbers, on math tests that would usually take Samantha and I a good 45 minutes, our brother can do it in less than seven.

One day, my brother will grow up and become an adult, he will probably still have multiple hair colors and wear lots of dark colors. People will still look at him in shock and confusion, ask questions and lock their doors. But honestly, even though he looks scary, he isn't. He's a big softie, he is and always will be my brother and I love him.

When David went through his transition of making his blonde curls into a red Mohawk I was worried. When I tried to talk to him, he laughed at me.

"I like black, my hair is cool even if grandma thinks I've lost my mind and I'm still your brother. I'm not doing drugs and I don't drink. I believe in God. I hate close-minded people. I look the way I want to look. I'm not going to steal anything or hurt anyone. I still get up and go to school and work. I'm still me, I just choose to express myself creatively. Gosh Kim, worry about something else," he said to me.

That day he taught me something wonderful, you should never judge a book by its cover. David is still lighthearted and fun, he just enjoys wearing black and having bright red hair. He likes to be different and that's a good thing.

Happy Birthday David, never change who you are, as long as you love yourself that is all that matters.