Age Is A Permanent Position

All my life, I've been three years behind my brother. When he turned 16, I had just turned a teenager. When Chris was in his 20's and got married, I was about to come out of my teenage years. And even though we went to different high schools, I still felt the comparisons to him; particularly when it came to sports.

It wasn't until I went to college that I first got a glimpse of my own budding personality. I was on my campus doing my thing with my people. My first semester, the time I didn't spend in the classroom was spent in the gym. After a few months, I could walk into the gym and be familiar with the regulars. They knew who I was and often picked me for their team. I felt like I belonged and it wasn't because who preceded me in life.

Unbeknownst to me, Chris also played at the same gym with the same people and had even played summer league ball with some. One day, we went to the gym together. That's when it first came out that Chris and I were related. Upon choosing teams, one of the guys that I knew on a casual basis called on my by saying, "I got Chris' little brother."

I probably should have been offended but I couldn't be.

And I'm still not.

Over the weekend, I spent a couple of days at Chris and Charlotte's house.

Friday night, we went to a football game with some friends we've known since before I was a teenager. I mention this because no introductions were necessary. But on Saturday, we played golf together with our dad and another guy I hadn't met before. One of the first things he said as he looked Chris and I over was that he could see the resemblance. Then on Sunday, the situation repeated itself when Chris introduced me to a friend of his at the book festival; somehow, he saw some similarity. Whatever.

While Chris and I don't share many physical characteristics, we laugh that we share the same personality; our wives are able to share a knowing shake of the head as to what that entails. It is having a conversation that involves using as many movie lines from as possible. It is watching Full Metal Jacket and The Godfather for the hundredth time but pretending it's only the first. And it is listening to Sinatra whenever possible.

But now, I understand that since Chris has three more years of life on this earth, he has three more years of wisdom. Three years of making mistakes and learning from them.

So I'm glad that my budding personality has, and is, blossoming. But I'm also proud to be Chris' little brother.

But when I'm 90, he's 93, and we're in line for our Social Security checks, I may get tired of it.