Grown In Michigan

This is my brother Jon. He loves to eat. He once stuffed an entire hamburger in his mouth and finished it without skipping a beat. When he did that we were up at our uncle’s cottage on Burt Lake (near the tip of the mitten, ay!). Jon’s favorite food is Pizza, although now after having lived in China for two years and settled down in the Bay Area, his food preferences have likely evolved. In this picture he doesn’t know anyone is watching. He probably doesn’t much notice or mind that he is wearing red overalls with copper buttons, knee sox and red buckled shoes. He has no idea that the whipped cream he is dipping his delectable strawberry into matches his clean white t-shirt. He also doesn’t realize that the juicy Michigan fruit he is about to consume will give him the energy and nutrition to build him into the vibrant person he is today.

Jon is an engineer and does transportation technology research. He traveled down the California coast in a fuel cell powered car and did his dissertation on electric bikes in China. He is also an eccentric, even though he wasn’t trying to be in this picture. He always makes the funniest faces in pictures, like here his chubby cheeks and curious stance reveal how consumed and lost he is in his world of delicious whipped cream strawberries.

Jon has a knack for finding delicious red adventures. When he left Michigan to move to California he drove across the country in a red, two-door, 1998 escort. He removed the back two seats to have more storage room and built a removable bench seat in case other passengers needed a ride (seat belt accessible and all). There were other modifications too. There was a Velcro strip on the parking break to attach his cell phone and another Velcro strip attached to the exterior roof so that his companion, a plastic Nemo figurine, could travel with him and swim down the lanes of the highway. Nemo even survived a car wash.

Look at the concentration in that face. You can see his slightly furrowed brow so determined and intent on scooping up the optimal quantity of whipped cream. I can picture the gap of his mouth when he finally finishes dipping and proceeds to the consumption phase of his operation. Satisfied, accomplished!

Jon is most certainly accomplished. He has traveled the world, received merits and awards, has a job he loves and now after years of cajoling, he has successfully transplanted his little sister to the west coast. We are currently living together in Berkeley. When I look at this picture I see the essence of my brother and everything he embodies. He is bold, funny, determined, and most importantly a lover of food!