My brother just got his first job. He is working at the Wash Tub, its a car wash joint just a little ways from where I had my first job, McDonalds. Words can’t express how proud I am of him. See, he hasn’t exactly been this year’s poster child, and I think alot of this had to deal with what I did and how I made decisions when I was a teenager.
For those of you who don’t know my brother, he is 18, just this March, and he isn’t in school. He dropped out of school around 17 and my parents can’t stop pointing the finger at me for this. I wasn’t here to stop him nor was I here to guide him in the right direction. My choice to leave school and join the military was something that stirred a crazy idea in my brother’s head that it was alright to drop school as a priority in life. Thank goodness he hasn’t joined up yet, but this is due in part that he hasn’t gotten his High School equivalent education; GED, like I did when I joined. So far, my Mom has been winning the war against him joining up any service and I am confident that he won’t sign his own death warrent.
I know that he followed in my footsteps and so far is following them to the tee. He does the samething I do when I dropped out which is envy for a chance to earn money, “barrow” my parent’s car and take it for rides hoping my parent’s filled up and didn’t notice, and of course, play Counter-Strike to past the time during the day and night. He is also working at getting his GED in the same place that I got my GED which is kind of unpleasant to think of; usually one of the two brothers isn’t a troubled youth unless you live in the South or West side of town. That is just how it goes. Soon he’ll have his GED and this is where his path should modify from mine.
According to him, he plans to get his GED and head to the community college and attend for a few classes. ITT or Hallmark Institute will then take over and complete the bridge to a normal sucessful life. I really hope and know he can follow through with this plan but its just that he needs someone here to help him with it. I want to be here, but I also want to be there for Hiromi. I told her when I came back from Iraq that I wasn’t ever going to leave her again, no matter what. I drove and help my brother find that job and I know if I was here, I could help him alot more…
So here I am, straddling between what I should do when I EAS from the Marine Corps in March 2007. Should I come home and help my brother and guide him through the thick of misguided youth? Or should I keep my promise that I made to my soul mate, the person that means everything to me, my second chance at life, my soon to be wife? What am I to do?
April
on April 27, 2006 at 2:22 pm
You need to make the promise to your soul mate, and stick with her. At the same time, you can still help your brother out. I would do it while you’re young and he’s young so that it isn’t harder for him when he gets older. Make sure to set up boundaries though. Don’t feel guilty he dropped out though. You had to do what you felt you had to do, and he felt he had to do what he had to do. What’s done is done, and it’s better to focus on the good that could come out of all of this. Don’t look back, look to the future.
Michele
on May 2, 2006 at 5:56 am
I agree with April. You have to get your life settled, meanwhile you can keep an eye on your brother.
I think you can manage to live with your soul mate and also try to put your brother on the right path, but remember he is the only one that can choose the right path, you can only tell him what you feel like.