Happy Birthday, Bighead

Dear HomeBoy,

I know you don’t really celebrate your birthday, and that’s fine by me.  But I do.  So, how can I satisfy my need to recognize and your request to keep it quiet?  I think a post will do the trick.  Here it goes…

 

“Twenty-Eight Endearing Things About You”

28.  You look like a child when you’re sleeping – totally unassuming and peaceful.

27.  Your search for humor is relentless, and you always share your findings with me. (Whether I find them funny or not – that’s a different story ;)

26.  My friends love you, and my family respects you.

25.  You’re a rather good impersonator; your Nas and Mos Def are pretty good, but your Elijah Muhammad is the best. 

24.  However, your impersonation of my dad still leaves much to be desired – keep working on it. ;)

23.  Your competitive edge is pretty funny.  Phase Ten has never had such an intense interpretation before you started playing, I’m sure.

22.  You love your friends and family with steadfastness and intensity.  I admire that.

21.  You introduced me to Aesop Rock, L’Roneous and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.  How can I ever repay you?

20.  WWJD – What Would Jay Do?  If I'd had you as a math tutor, maybe I'd remember a few things.

19.  I love to see you and your sisters together; you have a beautiful relationship.

18.  You don’t buy me flowers, you bring me ginger snaps.

17.  When you get into a hobby, you REALLY get into it.  RC Cars, boxing, MMA and jiu-jitsu… need I say more?

16.  You are the reason I know anything at all about the UFC, and I really do listen!  BJ Penn, Royce and Roger and all the Gracies, Tap Out, Affliction, Sherdog, arm bar, triangle choke, oma plata – see?

15.  You may single-handedly keep afloat the protein powder industry.

14.  I see a tree limb, a doorway, a set of monkey bars; you see a pull-up opportunity.

13.  Somehow scaring me as I walk into dark rooms or turn corners is still funny after all this time… to you.

12.  You, in a most beautifully articulate manner, defended feminism to my father.  While I observed in absolute silence with a smile that could rival the Cheshire Cat.

11.  Your pragmatism and frugality can be irksome – they also come in great handy.

10.  You research EVERYTHING, from laptops to what’s the best method for making coffee.  (I love our French press, by the way.  Thank you.)

9.  You’ve relinquished any creative control in the interior design of our home, but you help me carry out the ideas.

8.  After only 3 years, you’ve nearly mastered the art of dishwashing. ;)

7.  You are kind to all animals, and even pet the strays.

6.  You have high school memories of me from before I even really knew who you were.

5.  You never hold me back from anything I want to do.

4.  You make me question myself, which ultimately results in a stronger resolve or a clarified perspective.

3.  You were a soldier, and you are a scholar.

2.  You’ve pondered a multitude of ways to embarrass our future children.

1.  You are who you are all the time.