Dare and Double Dare

I read an article this morning that made me nod my head knowingly.

“MADRID, Spain (July 14) - A bull that broke from the pack seriously gored two American brothers, catching one on each of its horns during the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona, where both were recovering Friday in the hospital.”
(http://news.aol.com/story/_a/brothers-gored-at-same-time-in-bull-run/)

As a parent, I can see this happening.

Hey, wanna go run with the bulls?

No, you stupid jerk, are you crazy?

Chicken…

I’m not chicken, it’s stupid.

I dare you or are you too afraid...

And thus, the young men end up gored in the … uh… “buttocks,” although the picture looked like the bull was a little more specific than that. Don’t go saying it's a “cultural” event because they were American. Not Spanish. Not their country, not their culture. It was a thrill seeking adventure.

I look at my boys and think… yup.

I’ve listened to grown men talk about doing things like riding bikes off a roof into a pool- that was some Jason Giambi pre-steroid press- or daring a little brother to jump with a cape off the roof to “fly” or the little brother who was dared and had the accompanying story of going to the hospital to repair a broken leg.

I don’t think it’s entirely gender specific because my wife’s oldest sister encouraged her middle sister to fly, too, but were caught trying to get on the roof by their mother.

I think it’s about siblings, dares and natural selection.

I don’t think it’s about competition. I am very competitive. I’ll race you up the stairs, beat you to the car and hold on long enough in arm wrestling to make you use two hands instead of one.

I love to win but more than that? I love the competition of the game.

This isn’t about winning. It’s some deep-rooted reflex to cull the herd. Why else would siblings continually, for generations, behave in such a manner?

I can only imagine the brother’s mother, back in America, getting them on the phone and saying, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER?

For about the nine millionth time.

I think the answer is… yes. Actually, we are.