10.28.05
Good Times
I have so many great memories of Lucas that will forever be ingrained in my heart and mind. Lucas was 2 years ahead of me in school and when he graduated from STJ we never lived in the same city, but still kept in touch all throughout the years. Every time we saw each other or spoke on the phone we just picked up right were we left off. He would remember every detail of what was happening in my life the last time we had spoken. He always asked about each person in my family individually. He’d want to know how my nephew was doing in school and he would even ask about my brother-in-law. Lucas was just that type of caring person.
So, I wanted to share a couple vivid memories of Lucas. The funniest thing that I have ever seen in my life was watching Lucas in tumbling class at the Armory. Mr. Harris signed him up to take tumbling because it is supposed to help football players with their coordination – or something like that. I can still perfectly picture Lucas trying to do all these gymnastics moves with his arms and legs sprawled out all over the place! Of course, he was laughing the entire time, as was I. It was too funny! Needless to say, those classes didn’t last too long.
Then there’s the Spring Break in Destin when Lucas decided to swim across the bay to come and see me at my condo. Our condos were across the bay from each other and he didn’t have a car so Lucas just swam across it! It’s a far swim – probably a couple football fields. What can I say – I can’t imagine anyone else swimming across a body of water to come and visit me except for Lucas.
Last summer when I moved to Birmingham after college, Lucas came to hang out with me. We had the best time – there wasn’t even so much as a pause in our conversations. We laughed about old times and just stayed up all night long talking.
As thoughts and memories of Lucas resonate through my mind everyday, I realize that people like him are so far and few between. I’m so grateful for the good times times we shared and I thank him for being him. Lucas was truly a very special person and I will never forget him.
Candice Blake said,
October 31, 2005 at 7:26 pm
I can’t believe he swam across the bay…to this day I still don’t believe it!! You two had a special relationship…good posting job!
Tarlie Harris said,
November 2, 2005 at 6:24 pm
Lauren and Lucas, one of the high school dances, 1997?
Tarlie Harris said,
November 29, 2005 at 5:47 pm
another picture…
Alan said,
November 29, 2005 at 9:23 pm
I remember that swim quite well! I was like what the hell is he doing now?
He did it though.
JudiMom said,
December 6, 2005 at 9:56 am
Lucas’s goal in gym class was to learn to do a standing back flip. We always stayed late to practice with the coach… can’t remember his name but I believe it was BJ’s big brother and another guy. They always stayed with Lucas because they wanted to encourage any male to be in gymnastics. Any way he did learn to do a standing back flip…. but of course he did not look like a gymnast that you would see on TV… with their toes pointed, legs pulled up to their chest, arms and elbows pulled tight to their side. Don’t think of Mary Lou Reton (sp).
Lucas’s back flip was all brut force pulling an elephant around his head. He would launch himself into the air with a 36 inch verticle jump straight up. He would then throw his arms and head backwards to move him in the circular motion to do the flip. His arms contiues to make circle motions to help move him throught the air. Of course, that would not get his legs over his head and he would be heading back toward the ground and he would pull his legs up with his knees ending up next to his ears which would get him all the way over but …… about to land … so then he would have time to stretch his legs out about two inches before his feet hit the ground and BAM he would be on the ground….. “I DID IT !!!! Did you see it?”.. OH I saw it and most of all I HEARD it. I don’t think I ever saw him try it at the end of a touchdown in football… but I know he thought about it more than once.
The second thing he learned to do was walk on his hands… but again toes pointed, smooth execution like on TV was not the Lucas way. He would almost dive into the mat to get his legs and feet over his head. He would then have to bench press his weight to get his elbows straighten out to almost straight… and his feet would flop over to get his balence and stay flopped down like a big puppy dogs ears wiggling and moving to keep his balence…. then to actully walk on his hands was almost a weight lifting event… he had to wobble from side to side and pick up one hand and slam it back down before he lost his balence and toppled over ninety degrees to the left or right. BAM, BAM, BAM, KA-BOOM all the way over. He might have “walked” ten steps at the most once or twice but he always tried again and was excited to have “mastered the skill”.