When I was a boy

[BuffJim]

I had a rare stomach condition that required me to eat dirt 3 times a day. I am eternally grateful to my two older brothers for telling me about it. 

[Further]

And this is why you have an immune system that stands up to Death Jim challenges 

[Longjohn ★]

That’s what older brothers are for.

[Rattlecan ★]

I thought this was going to be a story about having to walk five miles to school in howling blizzards, uphill both ways.

[ChrisL]

I was tormented by my older brother for years.  Dude had serious issues as a youth and tormented me.  We get along well now  but sometimes I can be a real ass to him and when someone else says something to me about it he just says, it’s OK pay back... 

[maddmaxx ★]

It's still ok to call you Jim though?

[BuffJim]

20 hours ago, ChrisL said:

I was tormented by my older brother for years.  Dude had serious issues as a youth and tormented me.  We get along well now  but sometimes I can be a real ass to him and when someone else says something to me about it he just says, it’s OK pay back... 

My oldest brother was extremely cruel and creative until he was about 16. He was legendary. Then a flip switched and he became calm and law abiding. A model citizen. A couple incidents where I was a bystander are as follows. He tied Jimmy Lee’s bike to our garage. Then he told Jimmy that his mother was calling and it was time to go home. All was fine until Jimmy got to the end of the rope. He kept going, but the bike didn’t.  Then there was the time he sat our two year old twin brothers on the step and put Tabasco sauce on their tongues. They howled and my mother freaked. 
I was often the subject of his cruelty. He was 4 years older and I didn’t have a defense. 
 

About twenty years ago he drove about 120 miles to visit me and apologize for his reign of terror. 

[Square Wheels]

I was a horrible big brother.  Mean, dismissive, cruel.  I hate myself still for it.

[ChrisL]

57 minutes ago, BuffJim said:

My oldest brother was extremely cruel and creative until he was about 16. He was legendary. Then a flip switched and he became calm and law abiding. A model citizen. A couple incidents where I was a bystander are as follows. He tied Jimmy Lee’s bike to our garage. Then he told Jimmy that his mother was calling and it was time to go home. All was fine until Jimmy got to the end of the rope. He kept going, but the bike didn’t.  Then there was the time he sat our two year old twin brothers on the step and put Tabasco sauce on their tongues. They howled and my mother freaked. 
I was often the subject of his cruelty. He was 4 years older and I didn’t have a defense. 
 

About twenty years ago he drove about 120 miles to visit me and apologize for his reign of terror. 

Yeah he was 4 years older too. It wasn’t so much mental tormenting but physical. I got my ass beat daily for damn near anything. And not just a punch here or there but total beat downs with the threat of more if I told.   I read accounts of POW’s detaching emotionally from their bodies during beatings by their captors.  I could totally relate... 

It all changes when I was 15 or 16 and I just lost my shit on something he did and pulverized his face. Fortunately his friend was there and pulled me off if him as 15 years of pent up rage was being unleashed on his face.

Fucked him up but good and I was glad I did it. He also never fucked with me again.

[ChrisL]

21 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

I was a horrible big brother.  Mean, dismissive, cruel.  I hate myself still for it.

Never too late to make amends... Many years later my brother acknowledged he was mean to me but never really apologized.  

It got better between us after we both left for the Army and we’re apart 5-6 years. We kept our distance through my HS years. I still remember he didn’t go to my HS graduation it was that bad at the time.