12. “You may be Big Brother, and I may be Little Brother right now. But one day, when I am 2 inches taller than you and outweigh you by 16 pounds, you will be Elder Brother, and I will be Younger Brother.”

Submitted by Land Weyland of Chino, California.

When I asked Land if he was Big Brother, Little Brother, Elder Brother, and/or Younger Brother, he wrote:

I used to be Big Brother, but when I was 18 my category was abruptly changed.  My younger brother had just won the Arizona State AAU Judo Championship for Age 16 and Under, and my mother was taking pictures of him, dressed in his Judo gi  (fighting outfit) in our front yard. Two cute neighborhood girls walked by and spent 5 minutes ohhing and ahhing over him and ignoring me.  When I piped up and said that he couldn’t throw me, the response was immediate and definite.  The first time, he put me on the ground with a foot sweep.  I protested that I hadn’t been ready so he threw me again, this time with a hip throw. The girls giggled and wiggled away.

We shook hands, and I said, “You’re pretty good, Younger Brother” and he said, “Thanks, Elder Brother”.  Now we are just brothers.”

PS – It just occurred to me that he outweighs me by 15 pounds, so he is now Big Brother and he also looks older that I do so he is also Elder  Brother.  It took 50 years, but we appear to have switched roles.

I wonder, which of us most wanted that to happen?

For his prize, Land has a choice of one of these two books: Fifty-nine in ’84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had by Edward Achorn or John Williams’ Stoner, two of my favorites books of the last few years.(Sorry, Land, it’s not the all expense paid round the world tour you expected.)

I also hope Land will spend a few minutes alone with Eli and then Ryan at their auntie’s wedding in June, explaining what is going to happen to them in the years to come.

(Personally, I woulda voted for one of the following:

#1. “I want you to know that I will always be older and wiser than you are and  that I was first in this world!” – Bill Plitt

#3. When I say count to 20 when we play Hide and Seek, you count ALL the way to 20!” – Who submitted this one? I can’t track it down.

#6. “I warned you!! If you ever brought up the name Jeter again in this house…this was gonna happen!”” – Jim Kerrigan

#8. “Beginning the Dance of Brotherly (Love, Loyalty, Individuality and Survival)” – Ralph Bunday

#9, “I told you to read the BLOG. Just read the blog.” – Andrew Cate

or

The second place finisher:

#10. “Yell all you want. I’m the baby!” – Jackie Reed

Actually, there were so many good ones.

Thanx to all for participating.