Good morning.
"My older brother and I shared a room growing up. He lost his privates in an IED overseas. When he was recovering we were back to sharing a room I tried to hide my erections. I mean I felt bad that he didn't have his. He told me I should be thankful for every hard I got and I should be proud of them and enjoy them. I wonder why such a normal thing got turned into something shameful."
It seems as if your brother was trying to tell you that life is a crap shoot and we never know when we will lose what we have, or the ability to use it. He's right.
We're taught to be ashamed of our anatomy --- whether soft or hard. How the male body became a shameful thing is beyond me. Why we're taught to be embarrassed when our cocks get hard is beyond me. Especially since it's suddenly celebrated when a pregnancy is announced. How do those folks who think a boner is a terrible thing think that happened?
Thank you for writing in and encouraging people to not only accept what men have but to be happy they work and to enjoy them while they can.