When I was a kid, the people I looked up to are quite a bit different than those I look up to now. I still admire my parents and respect their relationship, which has produced a 40-year marriage.

Of course when I was a kid, I was enamored with Michael Jackson (he still looked like a human being then), my piano teacher, Christa McAuliffe, Madonna (who didn't?) and the ultimate teenage heartthrob, Johnny Depp.

My life is clearly much different now and I haven't used a Trapper Keeper in many years (decades?) to display my undying adoration for my idols. Today, I look up to people who follow their heart, who have a passion, who don't follow the status quo, and who aren't afraid to take a few risks to fulfill their dreams.

I admire women and men who have grit and tenacity, who work hard, who push themselves to realize a goal and still maintain a good sense of humor. When I was a kid, my role models were the people I saw on TV or heard on the radio.

There are still a few folks in the media that may match my current criteria, but overall, the folks I look up to are my peers and many of them I feel fortunate to call friends.

So, FWW readers, who do you look up to?