Pause for Station Identification

Let’s step back for a minute.

I realize that a number of my stories contain some variant of the phrase “my brother died.” It may be useful to provide some more information.

Here’s what you need to know for now:

— My brother’s name is…was…is Andrew.

— He died 15 July 2010.

— I’m not ready to tell you how he died. Not because I’m ashamed or because I don’t know cause of death. But because it’s hard to write it out loud. And it’s not fair to have you carry the burden of that knowledge. And let’s face it, we don’t know each other that well yet.

— He was very handsome and sometimes he modeled. He also was an aspiring chef. He didn’t realize how talented he was.

— He was 22.

I have been holding these stories in my head, carrying them on my back for 18 months. And like Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, “There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.” But I understand if you don’t want to bear the weight of these stories. Sometimes we want to read stories that set us free and let us fly. So if you see Andrew as a “character” or the story is tagged “brother” you can make an informed choice. I’m hoping that instead of wearing me down, one day these stories will set me free.