Michael

BUILDING 113 CHARACTER DOSSIER NAME: MICHAEL FAMILY POSITION: One of Ike’s younger brothers. CORE IDENTITY: Brother Marine Family Cook Barbecue King THE THREE MARINES Michael is one of three Marines in the family. Cool joined the Marines first. Ike followed his brother Cool. Michael later followed his brothers into the Marines. Cool. Ike. Michael. Three brothers. Three Marines. That shared Marine tradition is part of the family history, while Michael remains very much his own man. CORE CHARACTER Michael is the brother you call when something important is needed and it seems unavailable. If there is a real need, Michael will come through. It could be something as basic and necessary as food. It could involve housing. It could be something difficult to locate or something everybody else has had trouble finding. Michael’s attitude is simple: If you need it, he will get it. If he has to find it, he will find it. If he has to locate it, he will locate it. That resourcefulness is one of the qualities that defines him. DEFINING TRAITS • Loving • Kind • Considerate • Generous • Dependable • Resourceful • Helpful • Family-centered • Loyal to family and friends • Full of fun • Full of love HE SEES THE NEED One of Michael’s strongest qualities is that sometimes you do not have to ask him for help. If Michael recognizes that you need something, that can be enough. He does not necessarily need to stand around waiting for you to explain the problem or ask for assistance. He sees the need. And he responds to it. That gives Michael’s generosity a very personal quality. Helping is not simply about responding when someone calls on him. It is also about paying enough attention to the people he cares about to recognize when something is needed. “MICHAEL WILL COME THROUGH” Within the family, Michael developed a reputation for being somebody you could call when an important need had to be met. When something was difficult to obtain or seemingly unavailable, Michael was the person who would start looking for a way. He would search for it. He would locate it. He would find it. He would get it. That persistence is part of what makes Michael dependable. THE COOK AND BARBECUE KING Michael was the cook of the family and the Barbecue King. Food is therefore another important part of Michael’s place within the family. The same brother who would help somebody find food when they needed it was also the brother behind the cooking and barbecue when the family came together. That side of Michael fits naturally with the person he was: Someone who loved family and friends and was full of fun and love. GENEROSITY Michael was the kind of brother who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. His generosity was not limited to possessions. It showed itself in his willingness to be there. Family could depend on him. Friends could depend on him. And sometimes Michael would help before the person had even asked. FAMILY AND FRIENDS Michael loved his family and his friends. He was kind, considerate, loving, and always there for the people he cared about. He brought fun with him. He brought love with him. And when somebody genuinely needed something, he brought something else: The determination to find a way. MICHAEL’S FAMILY FOUNDATION Michael represents a particular kind of dependability. Not simply: “I’ll help if I can.” But: “I’ll find it.” “I’ll locate it.” “I’ll get it.” Michael combines the determination of a Marine with the generosity of a brother who would give you the shirt off his back. He knows how to provide. He knows how to search. He knows how to find. He knows how to bring people together around food. And he knows how to be there for the people he loves. That is Michael. Brother. Marine. Cook. Barbecue King. Provider. Problem solver. Friend. And when something important cannot be found, there is one thing the family already knows: Call Michael.