Wednesday, September 12, 2007

my brother, Danny


this piece is entitled, "Danny's Look" (12" x 14" acrylic, $500). this is a painting from a photograph taken about Christmas time 1953...about the time I was born. I think I can tell by my brother's expression that he wasn't too sure about this little ugly kitten- mewing alien they called "sister". No, and i don't think he really ever got used to it.
I think my dad must be (just out of view) explaining it to him --- that they found me under a rock at a placed called "hospital". .


About four years after the time of this painting, my brother took to getting up very early in the morning to be with my dad before he went off to work. My dad asked him why he made such a drastic change in his sleeping habits. My brother replied in all earnestness, "I need to get up before the wound-up chatterbox wakes up and talks over me." Of course, he meant me! My parents thought this remark was supremely funny and laughed about it for years. Even older now, I fail to see the humor. Parents have funny senses of humor sometimes. My brother rarely thought anything I did was funny. Especially my endless yammering, as he still calls it.

It was sometime during my early high school years i became fascinated by my own colorful dreams and liked to try to interpret them. I had books on the subject. My brother to this day maintains that he is still suffering from my tireless details about dreams. whenever i start to explain something to him, he interrupts...."OHNO, is this going to be like one of your dreams?" then he makes a zombie face at me, like i killed him by over explaininng.

Brothers sure are hard to understand. He hated it when i "tagged" along with him and his friends....or if my mother left me in his charge....he would have loved to die first....would rather have chewed off his left arm, or eaten liver for a week.

but strangely later, i would hear him bragging, in big brother fashion, to his friends..."yeah, my sister thinks... (he sucks in his teeth as though needing a toothpick)... it is cool to hang around me." (he nods approval to himself) i might let her come along next time." (still nodding and sucking his teeth). his dumb friends just looked at him, blinking...they didn't have such a thing as a sister. (they nodded back wondering why he reminded them of a cowboy in a western).

Ah, but it was true, I did think it was cool to hang around him....but also...... he was the one with the candy money...............

1 comment:

fredg said...

Well, the story about Danny was very moving and full of wonderful insight. Is the story for sale?
We're having our living & dining room hardwood floors refinished and today was the 1st coat of oil varnish so if the fumes don't kill all of us I'll pick up later. You know what's really fun is moving two rooms of furniture somewhere else (like all over the house). f

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