Why a Tale of Two Brothers is Worth Telling

Everybody makes choices, and there always are repercussions and consequences of the choices everybody makes. One can choose to live near nature, hear the sounds of birds and insects chirping; enjoy the clean, crisp air, and feel peace—and be susceptible to wild animals invading your home or devastating fires destroying everything you have built.

One can choose to live a life of lawfulness, avoid the evil temptations a poor neighborhood can provide—dugs and gangs, for example—and escape the surroundings to find success as a doctor. Or one can give into those temptations, run afoul of the law and end up in prison.

I am currently working with two Hispanic brothers: One made the right choices and became the doctor, the other did not and ended up in prison. They feel it’s important to tell their story to warn people, especially youths ages 10-18, that there are multiple paths you could take. These brothers want you to make the right choice.

And I agree with them. They have seen what can happen.

The older brother, now 70, is the one who became the doctor; his younger brother was the gangbanger. The older was more studious, recognized the value of hard work, figured out the gangs were not the ticket to a better life, went to top schools, and became an orthopedic surgeon. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he knew to run.

The younger brother, now 67, had been bullied as a child (thought not by his family) and sought a place to belong. The gangs provided him with that, and when he got tastes of easy money, illegal drugs, and looser women (he ended up having seven kids with five different women), he was hooked. He used his fists, his guns, and his street smarts to move his way up in the gangs. But that also meant he ran afoul of the law and went to prison more than once. He actually got sent to an adult prison once as a juvenile and was there a week before anybody found out.

Perhaps the best story contrasting these two brothers is this:

When they were teens, their father owned a store and had them sell fruit at the beach for extra money. The older brother would take the fruit, sell some, trade some for sodas (it was, after all, hot summer days), talk to girls and sometimes trade the fruit for phone numbers, which led to dates and sexual relationships. His father knew how much fruit his son went out with, so when he asked where was the rest of the money, his son would say that the fruit went bad.

One time while selling, the older brother came across the younger brother. It was about 1 p.m., the hottest time of the day. The younger brother lay there looking like he was either drunk or stoned while his friends drank, smoked pot and happily announced they were taking “poppers” or amyl nitrate.

“That’s when I knew I was making the right choice,” the older brother told me.

What Makes This a Story Worth Telling

Back in April 2023, I wrote about what makes a compelling story: https://leebarnathan.com/blog/ghostwriting/ghostwriting-what-is-a-compelling-story/ It’s a story that has a powerful and irresistible effect; or earns admiration, attention or respect. It’s unique, original, or different. It relates to the reader. It puts the reader in the author’s shoes. It’s emotional in some way.

I’ll be the first to say a tale of two brothers isn’t unique. However, this story checks many of the other boxes: The reader will respect the older brother for making the right choice—and the younger brother for admitting his mistakes. The reader will see the grime and crime of the neighborhood, they’ll be able to imagine what it looked, smelled, tasted, and felt like being in prison, and perhaps they’ll cheer that both survived.

I know I feel these thing as I work on telling their story.

If you would like to discuss this or any other post, feel free to leave a message.