Survival

by Isaac Auslander

Did you ever wonder what it’s like to be the youngest out of three brothers? Let me tell you. Being the youngest sometimes makes you feel frustrated that you want to run away and sometimes you’re so happy that you wouldn’t want it any other way. So that is why being the youngest has its pluses and minuses.

When your brother or brothers are done with their homework they beat on you. And so they think it is fun to beat on you to celebrate. And they just like how you react so they do it more. And it is hard but if you don’t react they might stop, I think. And they like when you cry. It is like tears are their oxygen. I just always hate when they have no more homework so they have more time to beat on me. I know how it feels because I have two older brothers and they always have so much homework and so they do it even harder. And one of my brothers thinks I am a doll so he always kills me. If Jake hits Eli, Eli hits me because he can’t hurt Jake, but sometimes I can hurt Jake. And Eli is 12 and Jake is almost 15. I have a little strategy. Eli starts hitting, then I run and go to my mom and she is like a big shield so Eli or Jake cannot touch me.

But sometimes when you are the youngest you can get away with murder. Because they think you are so cute so they take it easy on me. And they want to hug you and cuddle up with you so they help you. And sometimes if you do something big you only get in a little trouble. Like once I was playing ball in the house and I hit something. My dad came in and said, “Eli what did you hit?!” Eli said, “It was Isaac.” My dad said, “Oh never mind.”

It may be easier being an only child but it is not as much fun. And if you are an only child then you can’t get in sports games and you didn’t learn stuff so you would not know how to play sports. And if you have an older brother then they will say, “Oh Isaac I got him.” But if you don’t have one they will say, “Who is Isaac? I don’t want him.” Also you will not have anyone to play with on a rainy day or someone to play with you when you’re sick.

So that’s my way of saying being the youngest has its pluses and minuses. I think I made my point so you can say no, but I think I did.