Oh, Brother!
Good day, loyal readers. You might think my title is the start of a scalding rant about the state of things, but it is not. This post is all about Brotherhood. You do not need to possess a Y chromosome to appreciate the following story, so stay a while if you can.
As you might know, I am the youngest of six siblings, including two brothers. They both had a powerful influence on my early upbringing and continue to show me what Brotherhood stands for. Today is about a brother from another mother, a man famously (in certain circles) known as Don V.
I met Don in a loud, smoky establishment called the Halcyon Club in Derry, New Hampshire a few years after Y2K. My wife and I had traveled to this watering hole at the request of her dad, who’d become a regular on the local karaoke circuit. We figured we’d have a couple drinks, listen to him sing, and call it a night. Fate had other plans, however.
The karaoke DJ that night was the aforementioned Don V. At the time, I thought maybe this was his stage name, a cool way to separate himself from the other karaoke jockeys. Turns out it was really due to his last name being long and difficult to pronounce! Don was a burly, mustachioed man, full of life and blessed with an amazing singing voice.
After a couple of drinks—and some prodding from my lovely bride—I summoned the courage to put my name in for my first-ever karaoke song. When I’d finished, Don assured me I had done a respectable job, which made me smile. At the end of the night, we approached him and said our goodbyes. Don gave me a big bearhug and proclaimed, “I have a new brother!”
That one interaction really affected me. It still does. How could this virtual stranger embrace me as his brother after a brief greeting and a couple of songs? Yet, such was the powerful aura this man possessed. He was able to sense who a person was and help them to see what he saw in them.
In the years to follow, I witnessed how this one man allowed people to feel at ease, and how many grown men exchanged hugs as they called each other Brother. It’s incredible to think of the vast non-blood familial network we are now a part of, all thanks to my brother, Don V. We lost him over fifteen years ago, when he was only in his late fifties, yet a big part of him lives on in those of us who were lucky enough to call him Brother.
Through his example, I know I am an integral part of a large fraternity in the grand scheme of things, and I vow to promote that sense of unity whenever I can. I am proud to call so many men in my life Brother, a term of endearment that holds a deep meaning of love and trust which is often sadly missing between men at times for outdated societal reasons.
Donald Vosgershian’s life is an example of how one person can affect the lives of so many others. He taught me that we’re all in this together and need to have each other’s backs in order for the whole thing to work.
Thanks, Brother.
And for all my brothers and sisters, please remember: Whatever you are, be a good one.
-Dave
