O Brother... (Or, the Men in My Family, Part II)
These two pictures are of the same people. The older one is me; the younger (by 23 months ten days) is Ocean, who throughout childhood and adolescence was my closest friend, favorite playmate, co-producer (we did radio parodies), and partner in bickering. He was given the name Stephen at birth, and kept it until, at 36, he renamed himself. The decision has not been well-received by our parents, and fourteen years later, the jury is still out among our other brothers. For my part, I've always respected the right of individuals to choose their own names. I just haven't ever felt the need to change my own--except during me first marriage, when I hyphenated my last name. I have four younger brothers. Each is unique. We're all artists in one way or another, and several of us write. Three of us have also been involved in education. Two have been ordained, though neither remained in ministry. All have been married, though only two remain married to their first and (we all ...