Mike, he is a great brother and not just a brother but my best friend. I always wanted a brother. One time in 1982 at Fays on elmwood, my mother asked wanted I wanted for christmas. I said a brother. Mike was born Aug 31, 1983, when doing the math, I like to think I got what I wanted.
Since then, outside of a handful of very contentious clarinet concerts I missed in the 80s, we have been pretty inseparable. When I was gone I would write him letters. Back in the day they were hand written and mailed. Now they are texts.
I even wrote to him everyday in my journal in elementary school. I found excerpt from 1985 that I thought was appropriate.
Today is Tuesday, September 17, 1985
Dear Mike ,
(I named my journal mike because it is my brothers name.)
We are doing Science Experiments someone asked, "Are these magic tricks?" yes in a way, but there is a Scientific reason for each trick . Kool and the Gang says, "Cherish the love you have! Cherish the life you live!"
Anywho (as Mike would say) I have a lot of hilarious stories to tell you about him. I know right now he is super nervous that I am going to tell some of the best ones, the kind that make you laugh till your face hurts, like the time&. just kidding& Im not going to do that. I think in the end his favorite story will be the one where I didnt tell any those stories at his wedding. We will save them for the biography.
Those of you that know him well, know my brother, like myself, and my father can be intense. When we get driven to do something there is no stopping us. One of our friends described this phenomena as laser brain. If any of you have ever seen my father anxietiously await anything, like the dishes being washed within minutes of completing dinner, or a dog approaching his property line, you know exactly how this goes.
Sometimes that ability pays off. During the 90s Mike, well not just Mike but strangely most all of his friends really, seemed to have an obsession with stalking people. I have a feeling he was the ring leader. It was creepy, they would drive around slowly, and hide behind buildings, sit outside people's houses and duck behind bushes.
The first time I heard about Dave, he was another stalking victim known as The Coffee And.." guy and my brother was putting those stalking skills to the test like a lifetime special starring Sally Fields. He didnt just like The Coffee Shop guy, he was obsessed with him.
Let's just say Im glad the obsession turned out to be mutual and they ended up together here in this room, at this wedding, instead of in a courtroom with restraining orders or jail time ever involved.
When we finally officially ran into "the coffee and" guy at gay pride in the early 2000s, that was it. You could tell Mike knew at that moment, it was forever. He jumped into the situation like an old lady, clutching her favorite troll doll jumps into screaming BINGO as she dabs the last square completing the coveted coverall.
Mike never dated anyone else seriously, FULL STOP.
Dave's a great guy. He seems to always know whats good for Mike even when Mike doesn't know. Like the house. Mike did not want a house. If any of you remember Mike was never going to live in a house, let alone a house with a backyard or any greenspace as my brother hates nature.
Dave knew better, he knew mike needed a house so he could have a glitter and wraping room and space to store the fruits of his coupon fueled scavenger hunts for the bandaids and toothpaste they share their lives with.
I have had so much fun hanging out with Dave over the years. All of our friends do. He is a treasured part of the inner circle social group at the 24. I would enumerate some of the stories that built up our friendship but like so many of my stories with Mike they are on the do not tell list so instead of risking it im going to say this.
Dave, I always wanted a second brother. Now I have one.
Mike, I love you, you make me so proud, congratulation
Are there any more bingos are there any more bingos, are there any more bingos. That was a fun night!