Topical Tuesday: #11 Siblings: Good or Evil? (aka Once Upon A Time There Was A Tave

Topic :: Siblings: Good or Evil?

So you might have sibling(s) or you might not. You might have horror stories to tell about growing up with them or maybe your sibling(s) are your best friend(s). You might even have heard horror stories about other people’s sibling(s) or are jealous of how well they get along with theirs. This week’s topic is all about brothers and sisters and what kind of a role they’ve played in your lives so far.



Can this picture be saved? It sure needs to be touched up, doesn't it?

Having a brother wasn't nearly the horror you might imagine, at least not for me and not until we were adolescents. Maybe the reason for that is because we are brother and sister--there's not the same competition as there are between sibs of the same sex. When we were little, my brother at worst was an inconvenience. He was a terrific playmate.

I remember when he was born. My grandparents took care of me while my parents were at the hospital. Children weren't allowed in during visiting hours and I was only 2-1/2. My grandparents stood with me on the lawn of the hospital. We looked up up up and then my parents appeared at one of the windows, waving. My mother then lifted my brother and I marvelled that a person could be that tiny.

Sometime in the mid-1960s we moved from Long Island to Maryland, leaving our friends behind. My brother and I started as friendless strangers in the neighborhood elementary school. We only had each other for quite a while and when our new friends turned on us (as they did from time to time) we had no one else to turn to but each other. When I was about 14, we were on the same bowling team. I was getting chunkier and more withdrawn; my brother became more outgoing and had friends. That's when we began to grow apart.



Check out the hair! This was 1970 and boys wore their hair long. My brother wasn't a hippie, quite the opposite. His friends were a rough sort but with hearts of gold mostly. This particular friend, though, was an old friend of the family. All that long hair got cut off when Pete joined the Navy. We were distant but still friendly with each other, moving in different worlds. I covered for him when he came in one night covered in blood after a fight. My parents never knew until we told them--many years later.


As a young adult, I lost a lot of weight, loosened up and made friends myself. I began to have fun. Now, why I wasn't like this as a kid and teenager is a long story. This picture was taken on my brother's birthday in 1980. He'd just turned 23 and we were getting along pretty well.



This picture was taken just before my cousin Bob's wedding in 1981...or was it 1982? I don't remember. Sadly a few years later, my brother and I were estranged. It's too long and painful a story to get into and it lasted for years--too many years. But now we are talking again and becoming closer again. It's all good. We are brother and sister again even though we are over 20 years older...but maybe no less wiser.

The aka in my post title comes from a song performed by Mary Hopkins. It reminds me of my brother and me when we were younger.It's called "Those Were The Days" and it goes like this:

Once upon a time, there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours,
Think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

La La La La La La...

Then, the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If, by chance, I'd see you in the tavern,
We'd smile at one another and we'd say

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days...

Just tonight, I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass, I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me?

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

...

Through the door, there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts, the dreams are still the same

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days...

Topical Tuesday