My Brother

Recently Dykewife commented that until she read my 100 Questions meme she wasn't aware that I had a brother. I feel kind of bad that I obviously haven't written about him, but I guess it's understandable...we don't talk much. We aren't on bad terms at all, it's just that Rob is pretty bad at keeping in touch. I call my parents about once a week, and I call or email my sister every two weeks, but Rob can go months without contact. My mom once commented that if he died she wouldn't find out for weeks. It just never enters his head to pick up a phone or type out an email. I'd feel offended, but apparently he treats his friends and girlfriends with the same casualness.

Yesterday Rob got on a plane to move to Japan. He recently graduated with a degree in education, but right now the market in Wisconsin is tight for high school English teachers. So he plans to hang out in Japan and teach English until the next wave of retirements, when he will make his triumphant return. I think that this move to Japan will either make him homesick enough to want to keep in touch, or will occupy him so completely that I won't hear from him for about three years. I hope he at least sends the family mass e-mails.