When I was first player, you were always second player.
When I learned how to play drums, you learned how to play bass.
When I learned how to code, you learned how to design.
When I majored in literature, you majored in physics.
When I grew out my hair, you got a buzz cut.
When I became a live sound engineer, you became the bouncer.
When I became a blogger, you became a podcaster.
When I learned French, you learned Japanese.
When I got an Xbox 360, you got a PS3 (alright, you got a Wii, too).
When I said “we’re going on tour,” you packed your bags, your guitar, and a Gameboy Advance.
When I got up for work and drove west, you got up for school to drive east.
When I learned how to compose arrangements, you learned how to shred on guitar.
When I took up smoking, you took up lifting weights.
When I became a Mac, you stayed a PC.
When we talk, we don’t speak too deeply. Our differences divide us superficially like how often either of us decides to wear pants or shorts, or fundamentally like how I’m right-handed and you’re left-handed, or even deeply in that I am a social butterfly and you are a stoic. We rarely tell each other stories about our respective lives. And even though we’ve had inside jokes all of our lives, a lot of our bond is unspoken. It’s because our closeness comes from a relationship that is unspoken.
When we are doing what we love, the bond is there. So there’s no point in trying to talk to get us to be close.
When we rock, they know we’re brothers. It’s as simple as that.
So from first player to second player: Bon anniversaire, たんじょうびおめでとう — happy birthday.
Beautiful, bud.
love this. happy birthday to your brother!
And since I know your brother, I can attest to the truth in all of this. Well said, Nico. Tell him happy b-day from me!
Rock on bros!
This was great.
Happy birthday Nico’s Bro.
Rock on.
Awesome. Happy birthday to your brother :)
Love this.
Happy birthday Nico’s brother!
Aw, that was the sweetest thing ever! Happy Birthday to your brother! And also – I could totally write something like this about my little sister. We are SO opposite, but we are SO CLOSE.
Cute. And Happy Birthday, brother!
me and my lil sis are like this as well.
happy birthday to your bro!!
it can be rather difficult to have us (unme) geminis as sibling –i’m glad they survived us!
happy birthday to nico’s brother!
That’s sweet. I’ve got a older brother who complements me too. It’s a wonderful thing. The two of you can take on the world. Nice blog by the way. Happy Birthday to ya bro! I’ve got a birthday coming up too (Dec. 30th). Found ya on 20SB!
Same w/ me and my sis — we’re so different, but we so “get” each other.
That’s my favorite part of siblingship, and you capture it perfectly. A very drunk and silly friend of mine said this once, while sitting in the room with both my sister and I:
“Ya’ll have the same energy. It’s like her energy is light (mine) and her energy is dark (my sister), but it’s the same light, just different somehow.”
Happy Birthday to Nico’s brother. :)
Ok, I’m catching up, but this has got to be the sweetest tribute to your brother and your relationship.
This is incredibly sweet, and I mean this in a genuine, non-saccharine way.
Alright, this just won my vote for 20sb award.
Late happy birthday to your brother!