Today, June 4th, marks the 25th birthday of my amazing brother, Mike Dahl. If you happened to listen to yesterday's show...NO, I am NOT doing this just to get back on Mike's good side after ditching his 'Garden Party' Saturday night. I'm doing this because I love my brother, and he's a great one.
Mike has always been there for me as long as I can remember, relishing in any opportunity to help out in whatever way he can. I can still remember when we took the training wheels off my bike, and Mike did the always classic run behind me holding on to the seat, only to sneakily let go and prove that it was you riding the two-wheeler the whole time. After traveling across the neighbor's driveway, I hit the street, and subsequently the brakes, dismounting from my bike in no certain style. Mike was there to pick me up and try again...I of course obliged. You can't let your brother think you're a pussy.
Mike is never one to say no to the possibility of a good time or a new experience. From him I've taken the notion that if it seems fun at the time, go with it. We were in Hawaii once as youngsters, I would say Mike 8, myself 6, and we both purchased(or were given really) ukuleles from a local store. Noticing the stage where the Luau took place was empty one afternoon, Mike jumped up and began performing some nonsense with his axe. As the young and impressionable brother, I followed, somewhat apprehensively. The two of us danced around singing Hawaiian gibberish and strumming on our four strings. It was not long before we had an entourage of about 40-50 Asians all capturing our photo with their Nikon cameras, as well as a handful of other onlookers. The one's in front knelt down so their friends in the back could also get a shot. We couldn't make out what they were saying and laughing about, but we figured it was about how great our show was. It's times like these that I really remember and cherish, and it was Mike Dahl that got me up on that stage. Don't overthink it, just do it...Mike and Nike's motto.
Today, Mike and I remain the best of friends, and he couldn't be a more supportive and encouraging brother. Whether it was being the only one to show up at another failed WCKG bar appearance, or just passing along some kind words from co-workers who might listen to the podcast, Mike makes sure that I still feel good about myself on a regular basis. That is him in a nutshell, and it's not just with me, it's with everyone he meets. You couldn't ask for a better brother or friend. Happy Birthday Miguelito!!
