There was a period in my childhood when Daniel did not exist. And at the exact same time, I did not exist in Daniel's childhood. We did not speak to each other, we did not acknowledge each others existence. If he came into a room I left and if I came into a room he left. It got so bad that when we traveled across country in the car I sat in the front seat between Mom and Dad so that I didn't have to sit next to Dan! As a result, I was almost decapitated when Dan was sent to the back of the station wagon for something and Dad had to slam on the brakes. Dan came flying into the front seat, right over my head. Mom made a great two hand catch getting me to the floor and stopping Dan! I can still see the yellow plastic glasses stained by red Kool-Aid that were on the floor at Mom's feet.
The battle with Dan ended of its own accord somehow. I don't know how. But I know that he and his friends guarded the house the night of my 16th birthday when 24 girls showed up for an amazing slumber party. Unbeknownst to us at the time there were attempted forays to breach that security by several young males. They didn't make it....And of course, no one except Marlyn slept that night. I remember that because we have a picture of her in Snoopy's dog house! I am still looking for that picture.
Snoopy's dog house came from the DeMolay float in the Orange Blossom Festival that Dan and Jon Awbrey headed up. We had that house (with Snoopy on it) for years.
Dan was my protector. Even when I didn't exist. Pretty cool for an older brother.
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