As we stroll from hole to hole, hurling differing types of Frisbees, a casual game of disc golf is taking place between my two brothers, Randy and Derek, and myself. This game happens to be a common interest between them. While playing anything competitive or just being near them for a certain period of time, I can recall the similarities and differences between my older and younger brother.
When I was young, I was able to start contrasting the two. The easiest time to do so was during time in front of the television playing Nintendo. If my older brother was playing a racing type of game, he would stare expressionless at the screen. He must have been so deep in concentration. It makes sense since I remember him setting all the records on any racing game he came across. However, that expressionless face would drastically change if things did not go his way. If another car would cut him off or cause him to wreck, his grip on the control would break, his arms would rise as his voice did, then he would commence yelling at the television. Sometimes he even let the controller fly across the room as he became furious. It was quite a sight to behold. That is Irish blood for you, I guess.
That same blood runs through my little brother's veins. However, when he played the same type of racing game, he was not so focused. He played it just for fun. Even though he was not as focused, he was just as into the game. As his pixilated vehicle zoomed around the track, he would actually lean his body every time he proceeded through a turn. Sometimes his body would be facing sideways while he played. This is one way I knew he enjoyed the game. My mother used to get a kick out of watching him play, because he would sometimes even sit on his knees and hop, when his car on television hit a ramp. He had fun with video games, but never played for the glory of setting records. Like Randy, he loved video games, but he played for different reasons.
Growing up, they took different paths in life. Randy moved away from home to spend time in Michigan before deciding to join the United States Marine Corp. He did his time in boot camp, and was shipped to Iraq. He stayed in Iraq for 9 months. He once said that it doesn't get hot in Indiana, it gets hot in Iraq. Those were not his exact words, but he said something along those lines. It was easy to tell that he had been across the world, by how he talked about his experiences. Once he was back in the states, he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, in California. While in California, he took up surfing. He was away from home but had many Marine buddies. He eventually moved back to Michigan, with a Marine buddy, before he moved home again. Through all the years I did not see him, he had different girlfriends, but never got married or had any kids. I do not think he wants kids.
Kids may not have been in the plan for my little brother either, but he now has two. The oldest one is Noah and the youngest is Ethan. After high school, he moved into a house with a few of his friends. While living there, he threw many parties. At one of these parties, he met Brittany. They dated for a while, but it basically fell apart when she got pregnant with Noah. After that, Derek had a hard time keeping a steady job. Eventually he met Madonna, and started to date her. After a while she became pregnant with Ethan. She and Derek still talk and their relationship is complicated. To me his life seems complicated. It is definitely a different path than my older brother's.
They may lead different lives, but they do have some similarities that are noticeable. They both are very much free thinkers, and live life the way they want. Video games are still a favorite to both of them. Plus, both have developed a high skill in playing guitars.
All in all, it is easy to contrast my two brothers, because I grew up with them. They are different in a lot of ways. Being brothers, however, they have a lot of similar traits and interests. One similar interest is disc golf, which we happen to be playing right now. Derek just teed off, and it is Randy's turn. Let me see how his throw will compare and contrast with Derek's.
No comments:
Post a Comment