Friday, March 2, 2012

Happiness Challenge (Day 2)...A Picture says a Thousand Words (more or less)

Running Up That Hill - Chromatics by ericfuentes



Today's moment of happiness comes from a picture on my computer.  It's actually my background and anytime someone sees it, they ask how I got it?  Who took it? and Where was I?  Every time I look at it, I see more and more about the people involved each time.



Here it is:

The first thing that I see every time my computer is turned on is this picture.  When most people see it, they automatically ask me a lot of questions about it.  What makes me happy about it is that I get to brag a lot about someone who is important in my life, my brother David.  You see, as awesome as this picture is, there is more to it than I realized.  I've spent many a day with a professional talking about a lot of things.  While I read a lot into meaningless things, I'm happy that I can take a lot out of important things.

This picture was taken on a trip in Oregon during my birthday.  My mother, brother, and myself went and had a wonderful time on the Oregon coast.  The location was at Devil's Churn, OR.  It was a perfect trip and perfectly timed for that moment in my life.  That is a talk for another time, today is about a picture that makes me smile.

What I love about this picture is that I see both my brother and myself in it.  Growing up, my brother was the coolest person I knew.  He was older, so what do you expect.  He had the coolest friends, Ryan and Jarrett.  They were into the coolest music and books and about has hip as you could be without being labeled a hipster (a word that didn't exist then).  David played the piano and I took lessons as well.  He was way better than I could ever be.  He was into the arts and had roles in the Jr. High and Sr. High School plays.  He was the lead in all that I remember seeing.  Ponyboy in "The Outsiders" and the Dad in "Cheaper By the Dozen."  He dabbled in drawing and was into photography.  As an adult, he has continued to excel in the use of his camera, but mostly for family time (that I see).

What I always see in this picture is the person that my brother helped become the man I am today.  If you notice, I'm out in the water and about to get splashed on by the waves.  David was always slightly pushing me to the boundaries of my comfort growing up, mostly cause I was the tag-a-long little brother.  Eventually, I was able to learn where my comfort zone was.  It happens to be way out there.  I'm the risk taker, with no showing fear of what is unexpected.  That is what I see in the picture.  It reminds me that I'm the crazy one who will go out there and do the different, awesome things.  I get asked if I got wet in the picture.  Yes, I did.  But it was worth it.  When you live on the edge, it's always worth it.  My brother was always a protector of me, even when he couldn't.  To me, this picture is a sign that I'm safe out there where he can't protect me and he's okay with that.  This picture shows that he knows how to get someone to willingly (albeit, through peer pressure) to step a little closer to the edge of themselves.

I get amazed when I look at this every time I turn on my computer.  I wonder why I was so stupid to go out there.  Then I remember how much I was laughing while it was happening.  How I tried to make myself look like a kind of stoic man, not afraid of nature but standing defiantly in front of it. (Actually, I was yelling at the waves like an idiot becuase I like to clown around sometimes).  How much my brother and I are alike.  Crazy.  Idealistic.  Quiet.  Somewhat brooding.  If you put us out of our element, we adapt and make it our own.  If you put us in our element, we shine.  If you put us together, you don't stand a chance.


I don't see my brother really anymore.  He lives in Oregon with his wife, Kyna, and daughter, Sydney.  The three of them are unbelievable and I love them very much.  They fit my brother very well.  My brother was always on the edge of what's next when we were growing up.  I was playing catch up, but not really because I guess I was already out there to begin with.  That's why this picture makes me happy.

1 comment:

  1. I've always been impressed by your thoughtfulness and insight, but this post is especially poignant to me. I love how that all along, you were really out on the edge in your own way. It's totally true. And I love how I get to look at your life with admiration, and a tinge of jealousy. Keep it out there, brother. I love you!

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