The Chain of Command

As with all large families, there is a particular chain of command from the oldest child, to the middle children, and on to the youngest. The oldest girl and oldest boy, have certain expectations, not of their choosing of course, only implied. In the case of my brothers and sisters, there was no deviation from this scenario either. The oldest has been the direct extension from the high command, and the pattern has appeared to repeat itself within the family, simply because of the size. However, the chain of command wasn't always related to our various responsibilities within the hierarchy. Let me share with you why this wasn't always the case.

My older brother was a member of the varsity baseball team during his Junior year in high school. The team was quite talented and went on to the finals in the state tournament. Unfortunately for my brother, he was unable to crack the starting lineup, but to his credit, he stuck out the season. I am sure he played some, but his appearances in games were fewer than he deserved.

Hidden among the list of achievements his team had that year, however, was the gum wrapper chain that my brother assembled while riding the bench during those cold, New England spring days. I believe it started as something to pass the time between trips to the 3rd base coach's box, but it soon took on a life of its own. The team received a donation of gum, Wrigley's Spearmint I believe, that became the wrapper substrate for his season's creation. With each game, the chain lengthened, eventually requiring its own carrying case. It was a project that became his passion on game day. May be it was the good luck charm for the team, who knows?

All I really remember is that it grew to some 150 feet, but in my opinion, it was more than that. It really was a measure of my older brother's mental toughness. He practiced hard, attended every game, only to watch most of them from the bench. Did he complain? Nope. He simply went about his business, and without fanfare, contributed to the team. His determination and persistence gained him a position in the starting lineup the following year where he had the team's third highest batting average.

The gum wrapper chain may be gone, but it provided me with a glimpse into his personality. As an older brother, he demonstrated commitment, endurance, and strength of character. These have been the virtues which have made a family chain strong, and there has been no weak "link" here. Happy Birthday Lorenzo!