Tuesday, July 21, 2009

And I Wanted To Ring His Neck ...

My brother turned 45 this year. Forty Five years of having nothing of a life. Forty Five years of getting hung up on how someone has wronged him.

A couple things about him ...
He's bi-polar.
He weights 300lbs.
He has an unblinking stare
His face is white (my mother is Irish). His entire body is bright white.
When he speaks to you, he puts his face inches away from your face.
They think he suffered some sort of brain damage at birth.
He is very good about talking about himself.
He is a few steps away from anything normal but can function on his own.
On Social Security Disability.

He has moved into my Town. I view this as a good thing. My parents are getting older, they shouldn't have to deal with him daily. He needs to learn how to live on his own. for six months he has been doing that.

For the most part he is managing just fine and with little help from me.

Yesterday I got involved so he could get himself signed up for the YMCA. Recently diagnosed with diabetes he needs to get to the gym. He needs to stop his habitual eating.

As we walked up to the door. Three boys were sitting outside on a bench. They were, perhaps, my son's age. My brother was wearing some shorts, a shirt with no sleeves and Velcro tie sneakers. (My mother bought him the outfit.)

One of those boys was staring.

And unblinking stare.

A stare that lasted the entire time we walked toward the door. He had the same look of disbelief on his face. Like there was nothing that could make him look away. Like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. My brother didn't notice. If he did, he didn't say anything.

I wanted to walk over and SHAKE HIM. Make him stop. Yell at him for being so impolite. Tell him to GET A GRIP. He's a human being. He doesn't smell. This is MY brother who I have known for FORTY years. He's a sweet guy. He cares. He tries. He does not have a mean bone in his body. And he doesn't understand why people stare at him. He does not get it, at all.

He tells me it happens all the time.

Witnessing it first hand?

Sucks.

2 comments:

Sassy said...

Aww man, that does suck.

Amy said...

Wow, that would indeed.