We lost our mother in October of 2020. I wish that felt like more of a loss but ..... long story.
Recently I learned my brother has suffered a stroke and may have other complications. It don't sound good and I am truly sorry for his trouble. We are not close and we rarely communicate. Still, I would like him to know that he is a fictional character in my book Brother Against Brother. His appearance in my book may secure any legacy he might hope to leave in the world. I would regret it very much for him to pass away and never know how his character influenced my story. I hope someone mentions that fact to him soon. There is an old saying that goes something to the effect, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I think my brother may be lucky that he has his family about him to care for him. I hope that care is therapeutic and leads to his recovery. But I don't know. The unfortunate truth remains that almost all the men in my mother's family have died in their 70s or before. It appears to be our genetic programming. I turn
68 next month. I recognize that whatever I am going to do in life must be done soon. I hope my brother has done what he wanted to do. I took this photo of Ricky in 1967 when Don Gucker was trying to teach me photography. And I couldn't even afford to get film developed. I have always liked this image.