My brother Kevin writes a weekly column in the San Francisco Chronicle. Then every couple years, he produces a compilation book containing some of his best articles. He just published his third book, The Secrets of the Blue Bungalow. I have only published one book, a children’s book called A Little Bit Better.
I am envious, but I’m not jealous. I know that Kevin doesn’t really write his own stories. His family does. Kevin is a gay San Francisco cop, who with his husband Brian, adopted two young boys over a decade ago. The now teenage boys actually write the columns for him. All he has to do is observe them during the week and write down the good parts, or sometimes the bad parts, whichever makes for the best story.
Me, I’ve got to create my own bedlam. That was easy when I was younger, but now that I’ve travelled around the sun 75 times, I can’t drink that much anymore. So, I simply can not compete with the antics of two teenage boys. Kevin produces a column every Wednesday. I’m lucky if I can come up with one a month, and sometimes I can’t even do that. However, I don’t have the Damocles Sword of a deadline hanging over my head. So, I don’t have to be so prolific. I don’t have an editor breathing down my neck for a weekly fix of 750 words. I just get a text message from one or two of my readers if I go a few months without a column, “What’s up? You still alive?”
I don’t think I could produce a story every week, unless I, too, adopted a few teenage “ghostwriters,” like my brother did, but I’m not about to go through all that effort just to spice up my columns. I am deeply devoted to the wonderful readers of this column, but let’s face it, there aren’t enough of them to field a softball team, maybe not even enough for a bowling team. WordPress keeps track of those things, and they tell me that I have way over a hundred subscribers. I only ever hear from a handful of them, though, so the rest must be in the witness protection program.
So, this column is not about me. It’s for Kevin. Go to Amazon and buy his book. His kids worked hard to write it.
Peace & Love, and all of the above,
Earl
earlthepearl137 
Still here!
As you wish,
Go Kevin !
Earl — If you want to be more prolific, limit your length to 750 words. You write too long. If you haven’t, check out my column at grocerystories.com. Better yet, buy my book, “ Zen and the art of grocery shopping.” Better, better yet, if your brother sends me his autographed book, I will send him mine, autographed. (I collect autographed books). Be well. Keep writing. You are amusing and often profound. The Heard Forever. John (bass guitar and organ — I still have both).
It is grand to see /feel the love for your brother, he sounds amazing , Whata nice family , thanks for sharing
Sally