Sunday, July 21, 2019
Michael was my brother and being 5 and a half years older than me he was in many ways a third parent for me. I had two fantastic parents already in Connie and Al Arbolino, not forgetting my loving sister Linda. We migrated from the Bronx to Staten Island when I was seven years old in that very turbulent political year, 1968. The family realized the American dream of home ownership on October 1st 1969 when we moved into our home at 60 Windemere Ave in Staten Island's Oakwood Heights neighborhood. I still frequent that area and have friends there for going on 45 years. Just last week I drove past the house by myself if for no other reason than to recall the love and joy that sprang through that house all through the 1970's and we'll into the 1980's . Now, on to my specific story. Around 1971, Michael, being a 16 year old, no longer wanted to share a room with his 10 year old brother. So, my parents allowed him to move in the basement. This created, in my mind the coolest place to be in the house. The rock music could be heard coming from below and I loved it, still listen to it to this day. Crosby Stills and Nash, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, The Album from the concert at Woodstock. He had them all and I would love to go down to his room and ask him to play a particular album. It was a musical education of the highest level. One day he pulled out an album he had just purchased titled Tommy by the group the Who. He said to me, "I want you to listen to this and tell me what it means. I dutifully followed the lyric sheet through Pinball Wizard, The Acid Queen, Sensation, the whole marvelous work that was a Rock Opera. When it was over I said to him, " I think it is about Jesus Christ, Tommy is Jesus Christ ," He said, "Very good, you passed the test." From that moment on I have looked for the true meaning in songs, movies, paintings, you name it. I owe it all to my brother Mike, who took the time as an older sibling to teach his younger brother something and not just close the door and say, " Stay out of my room " No matter how things have evolved, I look back at that afternoon 47 years ago and know I love this man as only a brother can love another brother. Steven Arbolino. 07.21.18
