Get Back

This past Wednesday, my baby brother, Joe, celebrated his 16^th birthday.  Because Joe shares my love of the Beatles, a blog dedicated to him was the obvious choice for this week.  He and I like to have jam sessions together, him on the guitar, me on the piano, and both of us singing (poorly.)  One of the songs we used to play was the Beatle’s title Get Back from the album Let it Be.  Coincidentally, the song is about man named Jojo. 

Spending time with my brother is one of the things I miss most since I left home.  I’m proud to say that we have a great relationship—Joe’s been one of my best friends for 16 years.  There’s never a dull moment with him.  We celebrate Music Mondays, our own little tradition of dedicating every Monday evening to listening to music together.  We fly across the country every year, just the two of us, to visit family.  We stay up to watch Saturday Night Live.  We spend hours in the summer tossing baseballs, just chatting.  We beat each other up, but we never fight.  This is the first of his birthdays I wasn’t there for—I used to make his cake every year—and I’m pretty bummed about it.

Jojo from Get Back reminds me of Joe, and not just because it’s a song we used to sing together.  “Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner, but he knew it couldn’t last.”  For a 16-year-old guy, Joe’s got such a cool personality.  He’s very relaxed, very friendly.  He’s an awesome guitar player.  He’s an encyclopedia of random knowledge.  He’s one of those people who can crack a hilarious joke with a completely straight face.  “Jojo left his home in Tuscan, Arizona, for some California grass.”  One of the things I admire most about Joe is his ability to pave his own way in life, regardless of what is expected of him.  For example, he likes Hawaiian shirts… you know, with the buttons down the front and the big hibiscus flowers.  Wearing them, he definitely stands out in a crowd of self conscious young men in tight Abercrombie and Fitch tees, and that’s perfectly fine with him. “Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged.”  Joe knows his place in the world, and he’s not afraid to be himself.  I’m proud to say that he’s my little brother.

“Get back, Jojo!”