The Enforcer Is Watching

My mother sent me some old photographs for my birthday last month. They included the above black-and- white. That's me on the right with my younger brother seated next to me.

If you read the comments here you might find an occasional comment from "the enforcer." That's my brother. So now you can put a face with that handle. But he doesn't look so tough here, does he.

In fact, my mother tells the story of how we both got tattoos (the water soluble transfer variety) when we were about this age. Being the older more worldly brother, I already knew something of higher mathemathetics and statistical probability.

So I said we couldn't both have tattoos. It was impossible. To make it right, I re-dubbed my brother's a tat-one. And from what I understand, he went along with it. I was the older, wiser brother afterall.

These days I probably couldn't get my way with him, certainly not with him playing competitive basketball and pumping iron. Meanwhile, I get a workout just trying to measure my waistline.

Another reason I envy him is that he can retire, though I believe the deadline for taking the offered buy-out with GM is today (Friday). I don't know if he's decided to do that. Maybe he doesn't know what to do if he retired. He could spend more time bonding with his grandchildren. That's something he has that I don't.

I think I may send the enforcer after my sons. Hea bro, my boys laughed at our clothes in the picture above. Hmmmmm, they do seem a bit "early refugee" in style. Maybe there's an ethnic explanation for our garb. Have to ask mom.

By the way, that Legs Inn restaurant there still stands 49 years after the above picture was taken. It's located at the northwestern tip of lower Michigan. Polish fare is their specialty, so you can dine on bigos, pierogi and kabanosy. My wife and I did so last summer.