The storm chaser, or, the "good" brother

I'd like to tell you a story today about John, and Jason. John and Jason are brothers, and have chosen two totally different paths in this windy road we call life. First, let me introduce you to John, the "good" brother.

John began school with a smile, and aimed to please his teacher and family by doing the absolute best he could at everything he did. In Kindergarten, he rarely ever spoke out, and always colored in the lines, never making too many mistakes, and surely never disappointing his parents or his teachers. John continued on through his middle school and Jr. High years much like he began his journey back in Kindergarten. In High School John was tempted to try marijuana, drink, cuss, have sex with girls before marriage, and refused all. He had the desire to be the best, and seemingly so, he WAS. John had never really known a hardship, or a difficult time. It was pretty much smooth sailing for him, and this road we all travel down called "life" was pretty much an easy experience. No Turbulence. No storms, shifts, or difficulties. John seems pretty fantastic, doesn't he? The kind of man you'd like your daughter to meet, and eventually marry, I'd bet, right? We'll call John Captain Number 1. The Captain who had never weathered a storm.

Now, let's meet Jason. Jason from the very inception of life was curious. If he was asked to stay in a certain area, it was a given that he would travel outside those zones to see what else awaited. Jason wasn't as concerned with grades as John was, yet he managed to pass his classes. Jason was proud of his brother John, but, had a deeper drive/desire to understand even the most difficult parts of life. Jason tried Marijuana growing up. He dated girls, and slept with them. He had tattoos, played in the dirt and got his hands dirty in this life. He had weathered a few things, that's for sure. Jason seems like a trouble finding, disaster waiting to happen and if this young lad stood at your door waiting to pick your daughter up for a date with all those tattoos, I'd bet you'd be pretty reluctant to let her out of your sight, huh? We'll Call Jason Captain number 2, the storm chaser.

In this life, we will have storms. We will have things come about, and without a few bad experiences, Without trying things, and weathering a few storms, how do we learn? John seems like the perfect brother, doesn't he? But Captain number 1 has never once weathered a storm. He's never set sail in the middle of the Ocean and had the skies turn to a dark grey, and had to fight with every ounce of gumption inside him to stay alive, keeping his crew alive too. 

Jason though, he HAS. He's caused most of his storms, but none the less he's been educated by them. He's put his ship to sail during the Hurricane, and fought with sweat pouring from his brow to stay alive... To keep his ship sailing, and to save the lives of his crew. He knows that life can throw curves his way, AND he's weathered enough of those curves to know how to make it out alive.

What's my point? Don't judge a book by it's cover. Don't judge a human by their past, because chances are..... that kid with the tattoos that you look down on, and find yourself so harshly judging probably has a bit more knowledge about life than you are giving him credit for.

How about just turning over a new leaf today boys and girls? How about just NOT lending yourself to judge another when you have NO idea what kind of life they've lead, or the things that have transpired to bring them to where they are today, and next time you see a young man standing at your door waiting to pick your daughter up on a date, and you see that tattoo, or scar, or sign of a life lived not so perfectly, just remember... They've experienced a storm or two before, so, when the hurricane hits, Who would you rather be the Captain of that ship?!?

XOXOXOX

Stephanie