Tag Along

My brother-in-law, Ron Schulenberg was the youngest of six children, and the second boy in the family. He was often told what to do by his older siblings, and especially his sisters, because, well…that’s what older sisters do. We were raised taking care of the younger siblings, and that just naturally included babysitting them and in general, telling them what to do. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the younger children appreciated that “influence” from the older siblings. In fact, most times, the younger kids, didn’t appreciate that bossiness of their older siblings…especially as they got a little bit older.

My brother-in-law was always being told what to do, but not quite as often by his older brother, Bob, my husband. Maybe it was because Bob understood how it was to be the boy among multiple sisters, or maybe it was because Bob was fourteen when his brother was born, so by the time Ron could be much trouble, Bob was already grown up and out of the household…having moved out when he was eighteen. That also gave Ron a little different relationship with his brother, who didn’t mind have his “kid brother” tag along, even on some of our daytime dates, like Dairy Queen and such. We took Ron a number of places with us, and I’m sure my mother-in-law enjoyed the break very much. I didn’t mind the “tag-along” either, since I never had a brother, just four sisters, it was ok with me…and, Bob might have thought that brothers should stick together.

These days, Ron and Bob are still close, helping each other as needed. They are both mechanics, so they work on their own cars and the cars of friends. Ron has an extensive shop, so many of the tools Bob or their nephews might need are available through Ron. Sometimes, you have to have a little help working on a car. Ron has a pretty lucrative “side hustle” with his mechanics work, and it keeps him busy too. He spends a good portion of each day working on someone’s car. No bad for a part-time gig. Today is Ron’s birthday. Happy birthday Ron!! Have a great day!! We love you!!