when i was about 10 or so we moved to a new neighborhood. obviously that meant exploring the new area, and making new friends. the first people i met in that area lived down the road from me. two of my new friends were brothers, one a bit older than the other, both several years older than me. they had a neighbor, who was my age, and we attended 3rd grade together.

the older brother was a bit wiser and kinder, the younger brother could be a bit bullheaded at times. when i was about 15, i left to live with my dad. those 5 or so years seemed so incredibly formative on my upbringing, for good or bad. around that time the younger brother died in a car wreck, and i really hadn’t spent much time with them since i moved away.

to this day, i remember something the older brother taught me, which was to try to learn something new everyday. you won’t always succeed, but it’s still important to try.

i’m 40. the amount of time i lived there was really only about 1/8th of my life. but i still try to learn something new everyday.