Mr. Mainstreet goes rock climbing

Let me give you a little background on my family life. I am an extremely liberal-democrat-vegetarian/sometimes vegan-alternative lifestyle/alternative energy-organic produce buying-road trip taker-vintage/thrift store clothes-self sufficient/do it yourself-recycle everything always-ethnic food enthusiast-drinks wine or espresso anytime of day-prefers foreign/independent films almost always-have traveled to non western countries & hopes to see more type of person. I come from conservative/"I'm not that conservative"-republican-meat eating-former Atkins diet followers-owns multiple SUVs-favorite meal is pot roast or some form of a casserole-buys whatever is on sale-drinks decaf with cream & sugar-watches whatever movie is shown on TV-doesn't travel often-if given the choice to travel would probably go to Western Europe type of family. Don't get me wrong, I love them like crazy...but we don't have much in common. I'm always astonished that I came out the way I did. Against all odds, I am the exact opposite of what I was raised to believe. Sometimes I imagine that I must've been adopted & in my angsty teen years would often entertain myself with this thought. Yes, I was adopted, my family was out living somewhere in the likes of Seattle, drinking organic fair trade coffee for breakfast & then biking to some local film festival while wearing hand-made clothes and eating hummus & veggie sandwiches (all ingredients homemade/bought from locally & sustainably farmed sources).

Fantasy families aside, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that my real-life brother and I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on...well...anything. Of course I love him and am always excited & happy to see him (which tragically only happens once or twice a year), but we've had our fair share of disagreements. Like I said before, we're opposites, so he's living my idea of what hell would be, and vice versa. BUT, today, there was a ray of sunshine in this dark cloud of differences between us. I was astonished, nay bamboozled, to learn that my brother and I have something in common. Before I go any further, let's let those words sink in.

SOMETHING IN COMMON

We both like rock climbing! Joy of joys...I feel closer to my darling brother already. Dear brother, if you are reading this know how great I think it is that we have something (albeit one thing) in common! Hopefully this will lead to our discovering that we have more things in common...like he's really a liberal democrat at heart but doesn't know how to come out and tell my parents...then as he tearfully confesses his secret love for ethnic restaurants & sustainable agriculture I'll brew some chamomile tea & we'll go take a yoga class to meditate (align our chakras & oxygenate our blood)...he'll tell me about a unique new Thai spice he uses to season tofu & we'll decide on a way to tell our parents about his being liberal (a closeted vegetarian as well) over a delicious asparagus & thyme risotto (the asparagus is from his garden & he found the best fresh thyme at the co op)....ah yes, if only. Nevertheless I now have a renewed sense of hope...it might not be too late for me to save my family.