Minnie,
Bratwurst has been known as Wisconsin Soul Food. Check this out:
http://www.bratwurstpages.com/brats.html As everyone is telling you, it is a very traditional sausage originally made with fresh milk and eggs. Danny Boy has explained how to perfectly cook them and eat them. Brat is German for fry and wurst is sausage so technically they would be called fried sausage although most people grill them after boiling in the great concoction mentioned by Danny Boy.
Having worked in the pork industry for 20 years and living in the midwest for all but the last 5-6 years, I have pounded down more than my share of brats.
It sounds like you have waited longer than the man who grew his jawbone in his back for nine years. It may not be as good as a good pulled-pork sandwich with cole slaw but it is a different kind of good.
Ed