Happy Birthday, Scott!

Tuesday was my oldest brother's birthday. He seemed to be really down when I talked to him that day. No wonder, either-- he's making less than $10 an hour, supporting a 5-year-old and a mentally ill wife that can't work. He's living in a crappy-ass apartment 50 miles from his nearest family member, he's working as much overtime as he can fit in, and he can't even afford little luxuries like going out to lunch or even a weekend movie.

I tried to get him to tell me what he wanted for his birthday, but he didn't know what to say. He finally admitted that it didn't matter anyway, he doesn't have time to do anything fun with any presents he might get. Then he said that anything he'd want would be too expensive to buy him, like they need a new TV. Theirs is about to go out, and then they will be stuck staring at the wall for fun. He said, "Maybe in a couple of years we can get a new one with our tax returns". A couple of years?! I asked if they weren't getting one this year... he said they were, but that it was already going ot pay past-due bills.

So I convinced my parents and my other brothers to pitch in with me. With our combined efforts, we were able to buy him a new TV for his birthday. It's not huge, but it's a pretty decent 24". We're celebrating his birthday tonight with a family dinner, and we'll give it to him then. He is going to be so shocked! I KNOW he won't expect anything like this. I hope he likes it, and it makes his life a little more worth living; at least for a while.

Happy Birthday, Scott. We've never been the closest of siblings, but I love you still.