Thursday, February 18, 2010

A few facts.................

John was born in a little town in Germany on October 23, 1947 and he died in a big city known as the "Big Apple" on January 1972. His life in between was not always an easy one but he lived it the best way he knew how, of this I'm certain. He was the typical older brother and I the typical younger sister - always pestering him, wanting to hang out with him and he always wanting to be with his friends but having to "watch my [his] little sister" - I can still hear him calling down to his friends in the street telling them so - I was 5 and he was nearly 12. I didn't know much about my older brother only that he was a loner much of the time, keeping to himself, thinking his thoughts and probably plotting what he would do when he grew up - isn't that what all little kids do? Time went by and we both grew up, at least physically. Family circumstances did not allow my brother and me to live together continuously or to really get to know one another as I believe siblings should get to know one another, or at least in my "Leave it to Beaver" mind's thinking. Little did I know no such family as the "Beav's" existed. I mean, what mother cleaned house wearing pearls? We grew up in the mid-west - Cleveland (and various suburbs of), Ohio and before I knew it, he was in high school, graduating from Hollywood High School in Hollywood, California - how he got there from Cleveland is a whole 'nother story for another time. He joined the Air Force, served for a couple of years and was honorably discharged for medical reasons - diagnosed a schizophrenic to be exact. After being discharged he went to junior college, majoring in journalism - I have many of his school papers with A's & B's awarded to all; contrary to popular belief, schizophrenics can & do function and are highly intelligent people. My brother was one of those...............in the beginning. One fine day in May 1971, probably during one of his psychotic episodes, he up and left for NYC, a place he always wanted to visit. He never came back!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Thought for the (my) day.............

It occurred to me the loss of John's life in 1972 brought new meaning into mine in 2009 and..............continuing.