Interaction

I have done no scientific studies on the subject. No public surveys.  I have only had personal observations of others.  Usually, if there are siblings in the family there is some form of interaction.  I don't know about others whom had only two sibling children in the family and one being many years older than the other.  I just know in this one, there was very little or no interaction except for a sarcastic put down from the older brother all the time.  I can count the number of times on one hand I was included in a game with other neighborhood kids and he was involved.  I always heard from the kids I was growing up with, "My older brother this.  My older brother that."  I was never lucky enough to report that.  I was only lucky enough to be observant of the things he would do that our parents didn't appreciate.  He would get the hell spanked out of him with a belt and then when it was my turn I would tell myself, "I don't want any part of that shit!"  So, I wouldn't do it.  By not doing "it" whatever "it" was, I guess that made me the "weaker"of the two and he always seemed to bully me around and just take over.  He felt it was his duty to take over.  If he didn't think something was being dealt with the way he thought it should be dealt with, then he would take over and take care of it himself.  Even to this day, because my ex-wife didn't get what she thought she should get out of a marriage and therefore divorced me, she told me she would make sure that I never saw my children again.  After the divorce, she, in her sweet, southern charm, pleaded with my older brother and he took over the rearing of my children offering them money when I did not.  Taking them on skiing trips when I did not.  Being that I knew the vengeance of my ex-wife, by the laws of the court, I made sure I saw my children every chance I could.  When I was not able to see them because of some "excuse" that was created, yet they had the audacity to ask me for money, I simply explained that I was not paying them to stay away.  If they wanted to come and talk with me face to face about their need for money, I would be willing to meet with them.  That never happened.  Always, my older brother came through for them.  So, now I no longer exist to my children.  I have no patience for that kind of weakness.  If they don't want to come see me as long as I choose not to hand out money to them, I guess they don't need to be around me.  I paid my child/spousal support.  By that, I mean when I paid my child support, it went to the ex-wife and the buck stopped there.  The money did not necessarily  make it on to the children.  But my ex-wife sure as hell always had new jewelry on, or new make up, or new clothing, while my children got clothing made by her hand that I wouldn't even buy at K-Mart.  But, I have digressed from the point.  To this day, the old bro and I have no interaction what so ever.  For a better description, The Train Runs No More. These were the joys of having an older brother.