Happy Birthday Randall

Today is my brother Randall’s birthday.

He is forty-three today. I thought I would make a list of the ways he is the same today, at forty-three years old as he was at sixteen.

The Ways Randall is the same at Forty-Three as he was at Sixteen:

-Thinks every girl he meets has a crush on him.

-Listens to his headphones too loud.

-Would do anything for his friends.

-Hates any “loud” sound in the morning, like the blaring sound of someone simply eating their Cheerios.

-Really, really likes to ride his bike.

-His car is the most bitchin car in the world!

-Loves his family with all his heart.

-Still likes to tease my friends, but only if they “totally deserve it.”

-Can’t watch the movie “Tommy,” too scary. (Don’t click link Randall!!!)

-Not quite able to discern the difference between a private thought, that should be kept private, and a thought that is appropriate to share with others (especially while at dinner)

I really lucked-out in the brother department. Both my brothers, Randall and Rob, were always pretty nice to their little sister (me). Aside from one terrifying episode where they hung my Holly Hobbie doll by a noose from the ceiling light in my room, they both took me to parties, and to the beach and gave me advise on boys and music. They were always looking out for me.

One final Randall story and I will be done with it. When I was sixteen I was going on a trip to England with my school. I wanted to be a photographer and had a very nice Nikon camera. It was stolen three days before I was supposed to leave.
Do you want to know what Randall did? He went out and bought me a new camera from money he had earned over the summer. I’ll never forget opening my bedroom door the morning I was leaving and seeing a Nikon on the ground with a note that read, “Have fun in England.” Not many nineteen year olds would do that for their sister. I had two brothers like this. So Lucky.

(Randall at nineteen. Taken with the camera he bought me. We were a good match. He wanted to be a model and I wanted to be a photographer.)