12/21/2021
The Journey
I have spent my life looking for brotherhood. I have looked for it in street gangs, crews, cliques, the military and in MC culture. I have been let down many times by many organizations. However, I accept the human element, it is our flaw, our greatest weakness, and our greatest strength.
There is an old saying, "no man is an island". The truth is we were created for community; we need each other. But, I have learned that brotherhood is more than a name, more than a patch regardless of whether it’s on your shoulder or your back. It runs much deeper than ink, and it's more than what we ride. It has to be mutual, it has to be earned; it is a courtship of blood, sweat, and tears in the deepest sense.
In my culture there is a saying, "don't bro me if you don't know me"; and one more, "I am my brother’s keeper". I have those that call me brother, and they know the depth and width of that title. The honor and debt; the oath, and all that it entails
There are a few I call brother. I have brothers that were born to me; we are blood. I have brothers that are sworn to me; we are vets. I have brothers that ride the highways and byways with me, and have earned the same patch I did, some of them mentored me on how to earn that patch, some I have mentored. These are my brothers; I try to never use the term lightly.
It's easy to die for someone you love; but it's harder to live for them. To live for them is to accept their flaws, their human element. To call me brother is to ask for my accountability; to accept my brotherhood is to hold me accountable. Brotherhood is the will to stand back to back, and kill them all if necessary. It's to be the uncle to the family of a brother that has gone on. It is to stand in the gap. It is the oath of a knight to guard him and his family when he is wounded until he can stand. To slap him when he is being an idiot and love him when he is down. It's an oath that shouldn’t be broken; in truth it cannot be understood by those that have not earned the right to swear it. It's dysfunctional and aggravating; it can be stretched, pulled tight, and tied in a knot, falsified and screwed up, but a true brotherhood, like a strand of three chords cannot be broken. Brothers can sit in silence for hours and just know being there is everything, though no word is said.
The worst pit of hell is to see a brotherhood die. Brotherhood is one phone call and knowing your family is safe even though you’re states, countries away. It's knowing your brother has given his only weapon to your wife and knowing he sleeps on your threshold until you are home. It's tossing your last mag and pulling your bayonet because for you his back is more than your own, and if only one goes home it will be him. We cover each other's shortcomings; our six, our 9 and 3. The phrase, "I got your six" is a blood oath, though no cut is drawn.
Brotherhood is to be of the same body. It is clarity of vision and action; mission and purpose.
In so many ways it can't be described, it is just known. Brotherhood by definition is exclusive but not discriminatory. So many use the term brother and yet so few understand its width and depth.
My line is drawn at my brother’s back and his at mine and there we stand. The most simple thing in life is knowing that you have those few guys you can count on, no matter the time of day, no matter the circumstance, no matter what it takes to cover your brother.
Written by: “Lycan”
Reposted from: SFMC
