Happy 12 years

This weekend we celebrate 12 years of life for my bro, Mark. 

No, he is older than 12 years old

(going on 40, actually, my baby brother, can't believe it)

This weekend, 12 years ago, Mark was bitten by a snake

a Gabon viper

(deadly motherf&#$er with 2 inch long fangs)

while walking in his flip flop to a friends' house in their village in W Africa

Within a few minutes, the venom starting doing its thing

and Mark was hurt. 

badly hurt.

He emailed me a few days later to say that he *thought* a scorpion bit him

but no big deal

he'll be fine.

I still remember reading that email in my office at work

and thinking, "scorpion??  'I'll be fine'??"

this doesn't sound good 

and it wasn't

but, Mark was healthy and lucky and tall.

Snake only got one fang in and it was on his foot, 

so the venom had a long way to travel to his heart.

Months of recovery

including returning home and getting discharged from the peace corps.

Mark decided not to go out on that note.

So, he headed back to Mali,

back in the peace corps

perhaps, slightly, because of a certain young, sweet thing who was there too.

He finished out his time there, and even extended it.

Came back to the US to continue on his do-gooder-ness here.

And now, today, he's back living overseas.

Again with that certain young, sweet thing whom he has since married

(who has an affinity for sunglasses found on trains, 

and wild children,

but not dogs

or things made of plastic)

So, here's to Mark

and Aisha too.

I think about them every day 

wondering how Palestine is treating them

and how they are treating Palestine.

I can't wait to get over there and see for myself.