Mtn . Muse Oh, Brothers

Big brothers are there to knock you down a peg when you’re young — and help lift you up when you’re older. by KEN BRITSKE wiTh moTher’s Day anD FaTher’s Day JUsT in The rear VieW, i had to stop and ponder: Why don’t we have a “Big Brother’s Day?” Don’t they deserve some praise and a moment in the sun? heck no, they are a big pain in the butt! Don’t you remember the pain and torture your big brother inflicted on you during the first decade or so of your life? a big brother would push you around as if he were the young dominant buck in the herd, letting you know: “i’m in charge here.” That’s what they do! growing up, i remember the household skirmishes in which he would inflict major pain and suffering on me (i might be exaggerating a bit). Do you remember the wedgies so bad you would think he was trying to pull your drawers up over your head? With them still on?! or the purple nurples, or the WWe body slams off the back of the couch while you were lying on the floor watching TV? how about enduring his stinky armpit tortures until you cried uncle? i can even remember an upside down puddle dunking! i thought i could put an end to the pain and suffering by squealing to mom, but that backfired. The payment for squealing was worse than what was inflicted beforehand! i think most big brothers are the same, and that’s what they do. a m i overreacting a bit? m aybe. Things started looking up for me as i approached my teens. my big brother, steve, was already in his teens and transferring his attention to our dad. (a needed break for me!) he was at the age where he could hunt and fish with our dad. There were many mornings i would stare out the window as the taillights of that Volkswagen Beetle would fade into the darkness. as much as i considered my big brother to be a big pain in the butt, i was missing him. it took me a few extra years to join their trips, since i was always the runt. i was too small to draw a bow or handle a shotgun. striving to be the no. 1 son is what all big brothers do. maybe out of guilt (or mom or dad made him), he would start including me in touch football games, although i never got the ball. That was oK, i was just thrilled to be back in his life. he took me under his wing and taught me street hockey skills. For c hristmas he bought me hockey sticks and a chicago Blackhawks jersey that i wore all the time. if the bigger guys ever got rough with me due to my lack of size, he was always there to protect me. he wasn’t the biggest but he never backed down. like all big brothers, he always had my back. That’s what they do. about the same time, our parents purchased a shore house. spending much time there during the summers, we wanted our own boat. The deal was we had to pay at least half and pay for our own gas. We each had a paper route; his was larger and earned more money. We did odd jobs like spreading gravel in the neighbor’s yards; i could barely push a half full wheel barrel so he always outworked me. We would dig clams and sell them to the local fish markets; i would shiver till my lips would turn blue, as i tried to match his efforts but would always fail. it’s easy to see he would always outearn me, but he never held it over my head, applying his earnings with my meager contribution to the boat fund. he did this because this is what all good big brothers do. a s i approached my teens, my big brother turned his attention to girls, cars and rock ’n’ roll. it’s like i no longer existed. however, and maybe unknown to him, i became his shadow, watching him pull out car engines and transmissions. i would watch him do body work and trick out his gTo, which our father was against him buying (Dad was right). it was so cool to be in high school and say “yes, that is my brother’s black gTo with two skulls on the rear dash that light up at night”. he got a kick out of telling the young neighborhood kids the skulls were from our grandparents. creepy, i know. i would also listen to all his albums and 8-tracks (yes i’m that old). he was a good teacher and still is. (not too much information about girls; maybe that’s the next chapter). he had no problem teaching me all he knew about cars and helping me customize my first one. That’s what they do. steve got me my first summer job working with him installing hVac systems. he taught me how to solder, fabricate ductwork, how to wire electrical circuits, how to charge air conditioning systems and so much more. This led to me furthering my education as an engineer in the field of hVac technology. Who would have known this would have led to the two of us starting our own successful business together that lasted for 17 years before we sold the company? he made many sacrifices getting this business started while i guaranteed him financial support if needed, as i maintained employment elsewhere. he did what he had to do to make the business grow while supporting his family. he never needed a penny in financial sup- port. That is what a big brother does. Who i am today is because of my dad. my morals, values, drive, common sense, sense of humor and some say my similar looks are all due to my dad. But what i am in life is without a doubt influenced by my big brother, steve. my brother has taught me all things mechanical and how to invest, establish and run our business. my success in life is mostly due to him. certainly, many skills in life come from my dad, but far too many to mention i would attribute to my older brother, steve. molding a younger brother to be the best he can be in life is what a big brother does. and that is what little brothers do.

The author, left, with his brother and best man, Steve Britske.

The first two paragraphs painted a pretty bleak picture of the relationship between a little brother and big brother. But as the story progressed, that picture greatly improved. i must say steve was everything i would expect in a big brother and more. i hope all little brothers everywhere can say the same. and if you are a big brother, step up and help us little guys. We need it! ask me again, should there be a holiday celebrating big brothers? absolutely, yes. i want to thank my big brother steve, for all he has done for me in the past 62 years.