I had been planning this date with the most popular girl in school for a month. I had concert tickets, dinner reservations and my dad had given me the keys to his new car. Nothing could go wrong.

When I was about to leave, my mother stopped me. She had just received a frantic call from my older sister, Linda. Her car had stalled on the freeway and she was late for work.

I would have to go pick her up, take her to work, and then see that her car was towed to the nearest garage. I would have to cancel my date.

I immediately refused telling her it was impossible for me to do that.

My mother was irate. "Don't you have any sense of responsibility? She's family!"

"It's not that," I answered, "I just can't be a brother and assist her."