From the Vault - June 28, 2006

The random pic I chose today was taken two years ago at my friend, Justin's, wedding shower. I've known Justin since around the fifth or sixth grade when he wore cool lines shaved in the side of his head and a William "Refigerator" Perry jersey. See, Justin's last name is also Perry, so it just fit.

Justin and I have played many sporting events with and against each other and have also had our share of disagreements over said sporting events. We've been on many road trips including Arlington, TX (where Justin fell asleep driving and I got a speeding ticket that turned into a warrant for my arrest), Boma, TN (not many people know about that one), and Irving, TX for a week long mission trip where we attended something called a "Rainbow Youth Rally"...and, no, it was not an outreach event geared toward the young homosexual community in Irving. Justin and I were interns under our youth minister during the winter of 2000. We actually had our own offices and would visit schools trying to get students to come to our youth program. We had our office sponge painted the colors of the schools that we would visit, but I could've thrown up in a bucket, splashed around the room a little, and it probably would've looked close to the same as the sponge paint. Regardless, I don't think I've ever laughed that much and that hard in one given month in my whole life. There are a few quotes from that month that only Justin will get, so as an homage to him I will include them here: "Come and getcha love" and "Stong woman". Not funny to anyone else, but he knows.

In the picture above, Justin and I are at his wedding shower in July of 2004. He married Jackie in September of that year and they are currently in seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Justin is going to school to be a pastor and from what I read in his emails, he has grown into a great man. After I graduated from college, Justin and I didn't see each other as much. He had one year left and then moved to Memphis. I don't think I've seen him since his wedding and that's a little weird. I've never thought about it until now. Justin were as different as two people can be. We did have some similarities, but we were always a healthy contrast to one another. At times those differences could grate against each other and make for some tense moments that probably lasted longer than they should have, but are easily laughed at now. This picture was the last time I saw Justin in a "non" formal setting (his wedding). We still keep in touch and, probably, always will. A lot of things seem like a lifetime ago, but can still be around when you want them to be.