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US Infected: 4,000,239 Dallas Infected: 47,748 Texas Deaths: 4,197
Well, it’s been awhile since my last post. The numbers of Covid-19 cases are steadily rising with no end in sight as of this moment. While the virus rages outside of our four walls, we are staying the course and staying put. Our feelings go up and down like a roller coaster; sometimes thankful for the time together as a family, and other times wishing we could see ANYONE other than each other! There is a big tendency to get complacent about reaching out to others and to just wallow in self pity, but I’m trying to make a more concerted effort to reach out. I’m putting myself on a schedule so that I contact someone every other day.
Today I called my brother. Beavis was always close to me as kids. We are only a year and a half apart, so we spent many hours causing chaos and mischief. Beavis and I would walk to school together every morning, and one of our favorite games on the way to school was jumping over bells on the way to school. Our neighborhood was created by a developer by the name of Dale Bellamah, and his homes were marked with a bell etched into the concrete squares in front of the homes. Our goal was to jump over any sidewalk square with a bell. One house had 3 consecutive squares of bells which made for an impossible leap!
Growing up in New Mexico, Beavis and I had a unique backyard. Our home was on a court, at the very top, so we had an enormous backyard. It was probably 1/2 an acre of land and it was split in half by a 2 foot tall brick wall. The lower half was lawn which we kept watered with a sprinkler, and the upper half was garden and lots of weeds. In spring, the tumbleweeds would overtake the upper part of the backyard. One year, there were so many tumbleweeds that Beavis and I created a tunnel through them and made a hideout for ourselves.
Life was a lot simpler when we were kids, and Beavis and I would spend many hours making static lines for his GI Joe figurines or having talent shows in our bedrooms. One day, I was performing for the talent show, and I had a little fingertip piano toy. I tried to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but made such a horrific mess of it that Beavis laughed until he threw up.
Beavis and I drifted apart in High School, but even then, we knew each others’ friends and we kept up with everyone. When I learned to drive, I would drive our paper routes while Beavis threw the papers. Then, we would head down to Sonic and treat ourselves to fries and a soda. Beavis would always make me laugh after drinking soda, and I would burp while laughing.
I left home to go off to college and Beavis finished up high school and went his own way. Over the years we drifted apart, often living across country, or across the world from each other. Now we’re both married and middle aged. Today, sitting with him on the phone, it felt like we were kids again.
Beavis has become an incredible man. He spent many years serving our country as a Navy pilot overseas, and now he works as a pilot in the commercial airlines. He loves his job, he loves his wife and he’s still goofy as ever. For years he has regaled me with tales of his escapades…from jumping his little Honda Civic over a gator in the middle of the freeway in Florida, to chasing down a broken crate of live crabs in the Orlando Airport, to slow dancing with a burly biker in the aisles of the supermarket during Biker Week in Daytona Beach.
I am so thankful that I’ve never been alone in this world. I’m blessed to have a loving family that has always supported me, even as I went on to find a spouse and have my own children. Every day I am thankful that I was allowed to grow up next to my fun-loving, brilliant brother, Beavis. I hold onto my childhood memories with him and cherish our conversations. I pray for his continued success and health. Viva Beavis!!
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