HAPPY B-DAY JOHN!

Sorry I'm late on the bday wishes, I was enjoying the sunny San Diego beach at a family doctor convention, so I missed John's birthday.

I was thinking about John and what memory would relay what he has been for me as my older brother. The best one that comes to mind was when I was about 12 and John 14, we had a chance to go to Brother Pendleton's to pick onions for money. It was hot and stinky work (you know, the onion breath we get when we eat them, translate that into onion hands and clothes). Todd Boyd and others, the local "cool" kids, were there too, and they led the complaining for the morning. I was very persuaded by their ultimate coolness, and the onion sweat trickling into my TV-addicted eyes, and decided, along with them, that at lunch I was out of that stinky hot field of onions. I told John of my intentions, and his response was typical of his life. "Come on Mike, think of all the money we can earn if we work the afternoon! We can double our money! It's not that hard!" I grumblingly gave in to John's advice and kept working after lunch, whereas the cool kids went home to their very important activities for the afternoon (doing nothing).

At first, I was ticked off. I stayed because I trusted my brother more than the others, but I was upset. But as the afternoon wore on, I came to see the work was not that bad, and I started to tally up all the money I was earning each hour. By the end of the afternoon, I was pleased that I had stuck it out, pleased that I had earned more money, and pleased that I had used my time in a useful way. Brother Pendleton had us in to his house where we cleaned up and had dinner with him, and I remember it being a really great dinner, with lots of food and lemonade for the hard working laborers. I enjoyed the meal even more because I had worked hard all day.

John has always been a great example to me of doing things that others aren't doing. He still is that way to me. He finds time to do things that most people wouldn't even think of doing. That has helped me to push my own boundaries and accomplish things that without him I may never have even tried.

Thanks for being my good big brother example John, and happy Bday. (Posted by Mike)