The two brothers, David and Walt were born two years apart. Their father was the most alpha of men I have ever met. He could communicate more with one look than most people could flapping their mouth for 10 minutes. Both boys tried to emulate their father but choose different tacks to get there. Once was successful both at being an alpha and in his chosen career, the other was not successful at being an alpha but had career success none the less. Relationship wise, both had success and failure.
The older brother David was a lot like his father and in fact was named after him. David has a quiet strength and competence about him. If he tells you he’ll do something, you don’t need to worry that it’ll get done. David can and does play the aloof game. His friends and family come to visit him, not the other way around. Granted, I could show up on his doorstep and be fed, shown the sites around town, and be given a bed and never have to spend a dime. David would pay for it all.
David was his parents favorite. He never went out of his way to please them. In fact he could be quite the rascal, but always with a boyish charm. Maybe he found that people would be more forgiving of his transgression or willing to overlook them if he was personable. Whatever the reasons, people always want to be around the guy and in his circle of friends.
Walt on the other hand tried to emulate his father, but ended up being a caricature of a true alpha. Walt was the son who always tried to please his parents. The perfect beta boy. Walt compensates for his failure to win praise from his parents for behaving like he was supposed to by trying to be the expert on everything. Unlike Cliff Clavin from Cheers, he doesn’t make shit up, but he does try to dominate any conversation he in. He ends up sucking all the life out of a group by not letting anyone else get a word in edgewise. His family truely loves him will but will also admit that he’s an incredible boor. Walt also likes to spend his money on his friends who visit him, but unlike David, Walt wants everyone to know what refined tastes he has, so everything he does is done with that in mind.
David has been married 3 times. His current wife and his first wife are friends and they still see each other. The first marriage failed due to their in ability to have children. The second marriage was to a dumb bimbo with big tits. An abject failure. His final marriage was to a foreign bride. This one has been more successful. His current wife is a bit of a drama queen. I’ve seen David lay down the law with her so to speak, and she’s stays in line. She knows that David is the best thing that ever came her way.
Walt has been married twice. His first marriage lasted 20 or so years and he had two kids, a daughter and a son. Walt adored his first wife and never saw the end coming. The kids were in highschool when Walts first wife told him she wanted a divorce. To stick a knife in him further, she told him she had never loved him. Now, I suspect this wasn’t true, but instead was a bit of rewriting her history to fit how she felt and viewed Walt at the time of the divorce. Everything Walt had built up was lost in the divorce (they lived in California). Here’s a guy with a profession (which I won’t divulge, but you may be able to guess) that other’s admired and which gave him pretty much free reign to do what he wanted both inside and outside the law. Walt was living in a 20-foot trailer.
Walt’s kids finished high school and neither had the brains or the will to go to college (a fact that has always made him self-conscience). Walt was off the hook for child support. He met a new gal. She was a power feminist ultra liberal kook. I found her nice to be around, if only in small doses. She had a way of stepping on other’s toes and then thinking they had no reason to be offended. Walt married her and pretty much let’s her control his life. They seem happy enough. She wears the pants and Walt is the dutiful spouse. They like it that way, I can’t say I would like it, but it seems to work.
The brothers are near retirement now. Their father passed away a few years ago. Walt got the recognition he craved from his father before he passed away. I think he felt better. His behavior patterns are set though. He still is a lovable horses ass. David continues to do his thing. Friends and family still come to him for visits. Luckily he lives in a sunshine state.
Right now I could use some warm weather. It’s been too damn cold where I live. Talleyrand told me yesterday that it’s the kind of cold where you start to think God hates you. Yeah, I can see that.
