Greanpeace, or Brother No More
My brother and I were walking through one of our local malls. I saw that Greenpeace had set up a kiosk to sign up new members. Being a member myself, I got pretty excited and said to my brother, "Oh how cool, Greenpeace is here!"
My brother said, "Greenpeace? What's that? A shoe store?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Now granted I do get pretty excited when I get near shoe stores, but this was definitely not a shoe store! And, how could my brother not know what Greenpeace is? I was utterly shocked.
"You don't know what Greenpeace is?"
"No. What is it?"
"You don't know what Greenpeace is?!"
"No, I don't."
"You're joking right?"
"No, I'm not."
"So, you don't know what Greenpeace is?"
"NO! I don't know!"
"You are not my little brother until you know what Greenpeace is."
After this statement, I could see my brother's eyes light up. He was thinking about how great it would be not to be my little brother anymore. I saw that light in his eyes and just had to diminish it.
"I must remind you that I did drive you here. So, if you are not my little brother anymore, I am not obliged to drive you back. Do you have a quarter to call your parents with?"
The light went out and reality set in. He knew I was telling the truth. He knew that I really would just leave him there.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to march your butt over there and ask one of them to tell you what Greenpeace is. Then, when you finally know what it is, I want you to come back and tell me."
"I don't want to go there."
"You'll have to go there."
"They'll think I'm an idiot."
"You are an idiot."
"I don't want to talk to them."
"Uhhh. You have no choice, buddy."
"Are you going to come with me?"
"I already know what Greenpeace is. I don't need to come with you. I'm going to sit down right here and wait for you to come back."
At that, I sat down on one of the nearby benches and began my wait. His shoulders slumped, he turned around and started marching. I watched as my idiot went up to the kiosk and said something to the man that was there. The man then proceeded to talk, and as he talked my brother continuously nodded his head. After about five minutes, and armed with several booklets my brother came back - no more slumped shoulders and looking much more alive.
I got up, and we started walking towards the doors.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Greenpeace is cool."
"I know."
"They do SO much!"
"I know."
"Did you know that Greenpeace was founded in Canada? In Vancouver!"
"Yup. I have a cool Greenpeace T-Shirt."
"Wow."
"Better than a shoe store, huh?"
"Oh yeah."
"You are my little brother again."
My brother said, "Greenpeace? What's that? A shoe store?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Now granted I do get pretty excited when I get near shoe stores, but this was definitely not a shoe store! And, how could my brother not know what Greenpeace is? I was utterly shocked.
"You don't know what Greenpeace is?"
"No. What is it?"
"You don't know what Greenpeace is?!"
"No, I don't."
"You're joking right?"
"No, I'm not."
"So, you don't know what Greenpeace is?"
"NO! I don't know!"
"You are not my little brother until you know what Greenpeace is."
After this statement, I could see my brother's eyes light up. He was thinking about how great it would be not to be my little brother anymore. I saw that light in his eyes and just had to diminish it.
"I must remind you that I did drive you here. So, if you are not my little brother anymore, I am not obliged to drive you back. Do you have a quarter to call your parents with?"
The light went out and reality set in. He knew I was telling the truth. He knew that I really would just leave him there.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to march your butt over there and ask one of them to tell you what Greenpeace is. Then, when you finally know what it is, I want you to come back and tell me."
"I don't want to go there."
"You'll have to go there."
"They'll think I'm an idiot."
"You are an idiot."
"I don't want to talk to them."
"Uhhh. You have no choice, buddy."
"Are you going to come with me?"
"I already know what Greenpeace is. I don't need to come with you. I'm going to sit down right here and wait for you to come back."
At that, I sat down on one of the nearby benches and began my wait. His shoulders slumped, he turned around and started marching. I watched as my idiot went up to the kiosk and said something to the man that was there. The man then proceeded to talk, and as he talked my brother continuously nodded his head. After about five minutes, and armed with several booklets my brother came back - no more slumped shoulders and looking much more alive.
I got up, and we started walking towards the doors.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Greenpeace is cool."
"I know."
"They do SO much!"
"I know."
"Did you know that Greenpeace was founded in Canada? In Vancouver!"
"Yup. I have a cool Greenpeace T-Shirt."
"Wow."
"Better than a shoe store, huh?"
"Oh yeah."
"You are my little brother again."
posted by Elle at 12:01 a.m.
3 Comments:
you are sooooooooo fabulous.
you have this amazing power over your brother (and you use it for good)
I wish I had that power over my brother still!!! I did manage to take him shopping and dress him to my liking the other day though!!!
That's excellent that you're in Greenpeace. I always want to get involved in organizations like that but find I'm too lazy to do anything constructive. Maybe I need a big sister to coerce me.
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