Brian Mountjoy - LIFE ON THE DASH

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Memorial Day is tomorrow.

A day to commemorate those who have fallen in military service.

Fly the flag at half-staff.

Visit a cemetery.

Watch a movie.

Huh?

Channel surf tomorrow and you will recognize the numerous stations that have their own War Movie Marathon to honor the memories of our US military men and women from past to present.

One such movie I am always lured to watch is The Great Escape. It was the movie that I first viewed when my dad would say, to almost any late night movie he enjoyed,

“Hey, this is a great movie, you got to watch it.” Now, I believe he really did mean this. It was a great movie. He really wanted me to watch it. He probably felt guilty for sitting around watching it, but if I were to watch it with him, he wouldn’t feel so guilty.

It was good.

Escape for a couple of hours and watch one.

"WHAT, ME WORRY?"

“What, me worry?”  This is the motto of one Alfred E. Neuman. He is the darling cover boy of Mad Magazine. Although I am unsure as to whether or not Alfred has graced the cover of every issue, his prominent face did grace the room of my brother on San Miguel.

Last week as I glanced upon the magazine racks in the bookstore, Alfred’s tooth, or lack thereof, caught my line of sight. It was 20 years since I had last looked at this publication. While I was saturating my intellect by circling the hidden pictures in the Highlights magazine, my brother was absorbed in the creativity and wit of Mad Magazine. While I was on my own continuing education track of watching another episode of Gilligan’s Island, my brother was building MacGyver-like electronic devices while watching Star Trek, all before MacGyver televisionally existed.

I could go on and talk about my brother forever. He has a most gifted brain, and yet he also admires and appreciates the depth of creativity and humor of others.

 

Then I feel guilty. I have not been the brother to him that I have needed to be. I have not shared with him enough of his talent and giftedness that I should.

I personally never felt any type of sibling rivalry with my brother. I never felt that I was in a human competition with him in any way. We had the typical arguments, the typical brouhaha now and then. But nothing of mortal combat proportions. My brother is a good guy. I believe, very misunderstood, for a very long time.

 

You got a brother?

How is your relationship with him?

What was a turning point in your relationship with him?

 

Nothing to worry about, but just things to think about.

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

You know that feeling of surprise you get from seeing something or someone that is unexpected?

Do you remember the last time it happened to you?

Was it a surprise party?

Was it a friend you ran into from long ago?

Was it a picture you lost but later found?

Was it a $100 dollar bill in a used book you purchased?

Was it passing a test you thought you failed?

Was it failing a test you thought you aced?

Was it black widow spider crawling on your hand?

Was it a dehydrated aka shriveled up gecko you found underneath a letter?

SHIRTS

I actually own this shirt. Never was on the Showcase Showdown. Never in the studio audience. But I got me the shirt. Not my favorite. Not even a top 10 shirt. But, I do have a few favorites. I know we all, at least us guys, have that favorite shirt. The shirt that is possibly decomposing. Probably disgusting. Probably mummified. A relic. An artifact. Some would go so far as to describe it as crusty.

And the memories behind the shirt. There is always a good story behind every crusty shirt.

What’s your shirt and its history?