Blog Share

I forget which Nunavut blogger wrote about the Blog Share idea last week, but I was intrigued so I signed up. Basically, everyone that signed up was to write an anonymous blog post that they couldn't post on their own blog for some reason. The blog post is then sent to the guy/gal who is overseeing the project and he/she then sends them to the bloggers who have agreed to take part. We then post the blog entry on our blogs. So, without further ado, here is the post that I was sent.....

I remember the first moment I met him. I was in middle school, and I enrolled myself in Student Council as my exploratory class. I didn't really know anybody in the class, and being the type of person I was back then, I was really quiet and scared of intimidation. This guy came waltzing in like he owned the place. He started yelling random things, and it seemed like he was trying his hardest to annoy the teacher. I found him rude, obnoxious and intimidating, but hilarious nonetheless. He was one of those types of people who have always horrified me. The type of person that is cleverer than I am and can come up with a witty comment after I try to say something sarcastic and funny. Usually their witty comments make me feel, for just a couple seconds, like I want to crawl into a hole and never come out. He was one of those people. Besides that class, I didn't have much contact with him, and I never thought much of him.
About a year later, I was walking towards my school with a friend of mine who attended another one in town. It was during the summer, and it was one of the last days before school started again. I believe it would be my last year of middle school. We were walking through the baseball diamond when this fellow stopped as and offered us both a chance to get drunk with him that night. We both told him that we were good, and tried to continue on our paths, however he didn't let us. He explained to us that it was his last time getting drunk and that he was going to quit drinking as soon as the summer was over. He continued to say quite inappropriate things to the both of us. And we quickly tried to get away from him to no avail. He was really persistent, and felt the need to speak ridiculously loudly and ridiculously inappropriately about things that nobody really cared for much.
Because my father works at the high school this fellow would soon be attending, it really shouldn't have surprised me that this was the last I'd hear about this gentleman before I started high school. The mentorship program at my school is something to be proud of, where teachers take a special interest in those students that might need an extra bit of guiding in their life. My father, lucky me, took a special interest in him. The same person who annoyed me, and intimidated me constantly throughout middle school. My father seemed to go the extra mile-paying for his lunch whenever he needed so, picking him up to bring him to school when he would decide not to attend. Students still tell me today that they were inseparable that first year of his high school. If you were a student at school, you'd be able to see them walking together, him talking about something my father could care less about, and my father saying, "That's cool." every couple minutes to make him think he was paying attention.
Flash forward four years, and that same fellow is now living with me. He's my foster brother now, however the "foster" seems pointless in front of "brother". He's always been my brother, ever since he started coming over in his second year of high school to watch TV. whenever he didn't want to go home. We're both now in our last year of high school, due to a year's stay in another city that caused this young gentleman to forget about the importance of education. It's something I'm still having a hard time getting used to. It's been unusual for me to have to share the television since my older sister had started university four years ago. I enjoy having him around. He's the best brother in the world, and he's rarely told that. However, this is for him, so he knows how amazing he is, and how even if he doesn't always feel like part of the family, in my heart, he'll always be that way. Having the opportunity to have such an odd, erratic, loud yet loving person in my life is amazing, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I never imagined I'd ever start loving somebody how much I love my father, and mother, and sister. But he has made it happen. And he's just as much a part of my family as anybody else who shares the same genes.
He's truly changed who I am, and he doesn't even realize how thankful I am for it. I just hope that the rest of the world thinks about how much a "foster" family member could really help them grow as people, and feel a love they never believed imaginable. I love him like I love a brother. Exactly like I'd love a brother. It's beautiful, and I wish the same happiness upon everybody whose eyes have read over these words.