Conversation with my brother from Sunday evening when I called him on the phone:
Steve: "Michael!"
Me: "Hey brotha! How's it going?"
Steve: "Good. I just got in a fight downtown and I'm being held"
Me: "Wait, what?"
Steve: "They know dad and Uncle Larry though (both cops in Orlando for 20+ years), so it's all good. Can I call you back in a little while?"
Wow, how different our worlds are. My brother is 11 years younger than me, in college and single. I love the stage of life that I'm in and certainly don't wish to return to my college days (Engineering was a tough major that left way too little time for fun), but there is still a small part of me that is somewhat jealous of him. Not of the non-married aspect of his life, but of living life a little more dangerously.
I remember going to clubs and walking around downtown with friends, or even with Amanda when we were dating, and feeling a little on edge. It felt like anything could happen. You might bump shoulders with some punk walking the other way and exchange challenging stares with him. Someone might act or say something inappropriate to Amanda. We could walk down an alley where the risk is there to get jumped or mugged. Any number of bad things could happen, and to some extent I liked that feeling, and maybe miss it a bit.
Life is full of so many responsibilities and challenges now. It's certainly not boring, but it definitely feels much safer. Also, there are so many reasons now not to get in trouble or risk getting injured or killed. Steady job, family and kids, and all that.
Well, at least I periodically go to a seedy bar to watch UFC events. It's not much, but it's something.
1 comment:
That hits a nerve. I can't say how much I have changed myself. Crazy how you go from living for the minute to caring about how each minute is spent.
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