Levi

This week I was talking to my brother and received a compliment and an insult all in one sentence. I don’t think he meant to have the sentence compliment me, but it did anyway. He called me a name that I will not repeat because then my blog’s rating would have to be upped to PG for bad language. Anyway, the reason he called me this naughty name was because I hadn’t written anything about him yet. When we were home for Christmas I took pictures of him and had at the time commented that I’d be able to write a post about him. Apparently, he checked up on it to see if I’d done it yet. How is that a compliment? He read my blog. That’s a big compliment. So, Levi, this is for you and about you. I hope you enjoy it.

My younger brother, Levi, is 21 years old. He’s one of the strangest people I’ve met, but the kind of strange that is cool and entertaining (and sometimes annoying) all at once. It’s ok if I say that about him because I believe that one of Levi’s games in life is to try to be different. It’s a sort of hobby that involves everything about him, from his clothes to his hats that he wears to his taste in music and movies. It’s a side of him that has baffled and entertained me at many intervals of our last few years.

I remember when we were younger. He used to get picked on by kids bigger than him at the bus stop. They were supposed to be his friends, but he was always the center of their jokes. I got mad and tried to protect him, which only embarrassed him more than what the bigger boys were saying. It wasn’t very long ago. But now, I have to look up to my “little” brother because he’s taller than me. He’s also stronger than me. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere and somehow he grew up.

Another part of Levi that can be rather dumbfounding is how he can sometimes be suddenly affectionate (when you’re either least expecting it or least wanting it). If I feel like hugging him and go and wrap my arms around him he responds, “Ewww! Don’t touch me!!” And even though he’s strong enough to push me entirely away, and he puts up a good show of trying to get rid of me, I almost always get to finish my hug (unless he’s mad at me). Then when he does something really stupid and I get mad at him he’s always there putting his arms around me. Of course, I don’t want him to touch me then and I try to push him away and get away. Sadly, he’s stronger and faster than me and I get a hug that I might’ve wanted 2 hours ago, but no longer want because he’d been a “jerk”.

Levi is now in the air force. He works as a photographer, taking pictures of whatever the AF ask him to take pictures of. He took pictures of Walt Disney’s son (I can’t remember his first name, but I think it begins with an R…such as Roy or something). Another time he took pictures of some “wind talkers”, Indians that were used to communicate between the American armies (WWII) because they spoke an unwritten language that was better than any code a person could make up. Levi got to see real ones. Before the year is over Levi will be making a big move. He will move to Germany, where he’ll be living for three years. He’s doing it through the Air Force. They bought him, really, because he only had two years left in the service and he wasn’t thinking about extending his time until they offered him Germany. I’m very excited for and proud of him. He gets to have one of the coolest experiences on the planet…living in another country. And even though he’ll be living on an American Base I hear that he wants to learn German while he’s in the area. That’d be the best thing he could do with the three years.

My brother could be considered eccentric. He has this lip ring that is great for gaining attention. In fact, when we were home for Christmas, one of our mutual friends greeted him by curiously tugging on the ring. She never said anything but just walked up, looked at him, and reached up and pulled on the lip ring. Levi never said a word. He just kind of cracked a smile, and when she let go of the lip ring we all had a nice laugh. Words were then exchanged (friendly words, of course). He listens to odd music, choosing who he prefers to hear according to how well known they are. The less known the artist or group is, the more he prefers to listen to them. He has funny clothes sometimes. I remember a time when he’d wear a black fishnet kind of shirt. He looked very odd. But then, that was Levi. He dresses a little more normal now, but he still prefers vintage clothing. And then there’s Thursday. One of the bands that he listens to is called Thursday. They are actually well known. How do I know? He wears shirts with the word “Thursday” on them. We make fun of him, no matter what day of the week that he wears the shirt. We prefer him to wear them on Thursday, but if he wears it on any other day, we look at him and say, “Monday” or “Wednesday”. He always stares at us for a few seconds, until he realizes what we’re referring to. Then he smiles, and says, “You guys are such retards!” That’s his way of saying, “You’re funny, but that is an old joke, and I love you anyway.”

Yes, my brother is weird, eccentric, cool…you name it. He’s Levi. That probably sums it all up. And no matter how weird or eccentric or cool he gets or is, I’ll always love him.