If he's around, you can't over look him. He stands around 6'3"(in his cowboy boots, of course). His long hair and massive beard are unmistakable. And, he works his thrift store clothing like no one I've ever seen.
My little brother, Jared, is smart. Consequently, you never know what he is thinking. A few years ago, if you were to ask him small-talk questions, he would have refused to answer you. If you got mad because he wasn't being social, he got mad because you were asking him stupid questions.
Jared graduated 5th in his high school class and on graduation day, the Dean of Students introduced him to the audience as a role model for all students to look up to. Jared stood in front of a few hundred people and gave an encouraging speech to his fellow students. Not only did my mouth hang open the whole time because of the complimenting words the Dean used, but also because during that speech, Jared spoke more than I had heard him speak during his entire high school career.
Today, Jared is vastly different, yet entirely the same from that boy on graduation day.
I never understood why he switched his major from aerospace engineering to graphic design until last week while I was visiting him at his college. He excitedly showed me around the campus. But, he primarily focused on the art studios where he was spending most of his academic time.
When he showed me the first drawings he ever drew in his life, I was blown away. It became clear to me (and my parents, whom I texted blurry images of the drawings to) that changing his major to design was the right thing to do.
Not only can Jared draw well, but he does life well too. I had a chance to meet his friend, Kyle, while on campus that night. We sat around some sort of student commons area. We played cards and talked, mostly hearing about Jared and Kyle's wild adventures from snowboarding down snow mounds in parking lots to building fires in the woods behind their classrooms. They told us of their dreams to do wild, gut-grinding adventures with nothing but the skin of their backs and a hat on their heads.
We departed watching Jared and Kyle play a game they called "Punk". In this game, they walked around the student commons knocking over chairs and couches; turning bulletin boards upside down; tearing the corners off paper-made signs the college groups put up; switching the recyclable trash lid with the non-recyclable one; and moving directional arrows to point the opposite way.
But, don't worry, after being a "Punk", they "Un-Punk" by putting everything back where it belongs (guilty, Christian college conscience, I am guessing).
I couldn't help but feel after leaving the campus that Jared is living the life most of us dream about. Switching a major from engineering to graphic design seems outrageous to most people, but Jared does what he wants, not what looks the best. There was a presence of an incredibly free spirit that night. I have come to the belief it was achieved by simply letting go. To truly be happy, shouldn't we do the same?
I'll close this unusual post with a few images of Jared's artwork. The images aren't the best because I only had my cell phone camera to take them. But, you should be able to see the general ability he has. And, for being his first sketches, they are quite amazing.
Note::
I did NOT take the picture of Jared sitting on the wagon bench. I don't know who took it, but it's a really good picture of him, so I'm using it. Kudos to who did take it. =]
