Happy Birthday Earl!

Having written a little something about my oldest brother Allen- after missing my yearly phone call with him (something that still hasn't been remedied..sigh). I figured I needed to give equal time to my brother Earl on his birthday.

The turning point for Earl was his joining the Air Force. The change in him was very noticeable. My brother became a man. He was very different. He was responsible. He was diplomatic and yet, he had learned how to loosen up some as well. As his pain-in-the-but kid-brother it made a significant impact on me.

Just after joining, Earl put in an order for a brand new car. Mercury's version of a mustang, the Capri RS. In the early 80's they looked a lot alike with the mercury having a few more "bells and whistles" so to speak. The car arrived while Earl was still away either in boot camp or training school, I don't remember. He called and asked if we could send him some pictures of it, because even he hadn't seen it yet and he wanted to show his friends. So, I took two rolls of film (yeah, this was before digital) but I only sent him one. Then after a few days I sent the other. The first roll had pictures of: Just the dashboard; Just the "RS" symbol; Just one set of headlights; just one wheel. You get the point? In the first roll there wasn't a single picture of the whole car! They weren't even taken in a way you could put them together. I was proud of myself for coming up with it but I was AMAZED at how well he took the joke. That was when I knew he was changing; for the better.

Earl used to wear glasses. Great thick things. We used to unkindly call them coke bottles. Yet the Air Force ok'd his recruitment. Earl had his physical and eye test. Again no problem. As I remember he was 3 weeks into his boot camp training when the Air Force tried to pull out of the deal because of his eyesight. You could have heard my jaw hit the floor from a block away when I heard Earl was going to fight it. In the past he had been obstinate, hard headed and he and I certainly fought enough, but to take on the U.S. Air Force?? C'mon! whole countries are too nervous to do that!

Yet he did. He got some advice from our dad who got some help from some friends. The kind of friends that have... ahem..strings ya know? Earl stood his ground and did what he had to do. It took a little time but they reinstated him or whatever they called it. He got what they owed him; training in computers and electronics but he also got a chance to become something more.

He now has a good job and a great family. He's certainly made some mistakes in his life just like the rest of us. Ask either of his brothers and we'll tell you he has certainly been wrong before but Earl has the strength of character to do what he believes is right regardless of what anyone else thinks of him for doing it. That's a big thing. Knowing what's right and doing what's right are very far apart for some people. I can't recall that ever being the case for Earl.
Happy Birthday! Love ya bro!
Will