The More Things Change, The More Things Stay The Same

Mike O'Shea - Middle Linebacker, Toronto Argonauts - My "Older Brother"

I am the youngest of three brothers. That’s the way it’s always been. And this is how I learned the more things change in your life, the more things stay the same.

So our family moved to Toronto about seven years ago (Grade 10 for me), and my older brothers had just moved out. When it was time to unload the moving van, I was finally the biggest man in the house (sorry dad).

We were moving into a town called Milton, just down the #401. New province, new neighbours, new everything.

When it came time to move the couches, I got a little excited – it was finally my turn to be the big brother! Step aside MOM. I can handle THIS.

So dad takes the easy front of the couch and starts up the five stairs to the house. Leaving me to deal with the bottom end and gravity, but I wasn’t about to admit it was probably too much.

To become the ‘older brother’ you have to pass a test (like this couch up these stairs), or just be born first… either way, doesn’t matter.

As dads giving the helpful tips like, “lift” and “push,” I’m beginning to doubt if this thing’s actually going to make it up there. Whatever, people don’t need couches, they never had them back in Robin Hood’s day – and he turned out all right.

So I’m pushing as hard as I can and we’re about two steps in, when the whole couch goes light – light as air.

Is dad finally pulling his weight?

No. It’s something else.

I slowly look up and see a mammoth – about two people wide and two people thick, with a smile on his face. He takes one hand off to shake my hand.

“Hi, I’m Mike O’Shea [middle linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts],” he says while holding this massive couch up with like only his pinky finger.

His hand was like a baseball mitt.

I was the younger brother again.

We had moved to a different province, different town, and my brothers were gone. But nevertheless, I learned that day the more things change, the more things stay the same.