Pinno32
11-09-2006, 08:42 AM
Duane’s Birthday today
Everyone who knows me knows that very rarely am I serious. But this is something that means a lot to me. Every year at this time, I think about things. Today, Nov. 9 would have been my cousin’s, (BonnieBlue32’s son), 30th birthday. We are a very close family. All of my cousins are like my brothers and sisters. I contribute that to not having any brothers or sisters of my own. For almost 20 years of my life we were always together. We always attended every race, we took trips together, as I said he was my big bro. One day we had a small argument that seemed to get blown way out of hand. Like most arguments it was over nothing important. When Duane left that day he said, “you ain’t nothing but a PUNK a$$”. It’s funny sometimes how things come full circle. That’s why when the whole deal between Trevor and I happened, all I could do was smile and laugh. I replied to Trevor that it wasn’t the first time I had been called that, or the last. Duane and I went months without ever speaking words to each other. I didn’t worry though because racing season was only a couple weeks away, and any problems we had would be solved. There was no way we would miss that, right? Well it was the evening of March 24th, (his sister’s birthday), and my phone rings. It was his girlfriend at the time. She seemed upset,”Justin I know yall haven’t spoke in a while, but you need to call Duane”, she said, “He’s acting crazy”. Well like everything else in my life, I’ll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow never happened. We got the call later on that evening that he had killed himself. A part of me died with him. A lot has happened since Duane left us, I started racing just like we always wanted, I met Ashley, and his little sister is getting married. It has been many years ago but I still feel he is with me. I hate that his last words to me were calling me a Punk, but I waited to long to try and put it behind us. I will always wonder if I had called would it have mattered? If you can take anything from this story, I want you to take the time to talk to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. I dedicate this day to him every year. It helps me to remember what I have, and what I have had before. You may be able to do the same.
IN LOVING MEMORY of, (T.D.L), Thomas Duane Lucas 11/9/76----3/24/98
Everyone who knows me knows that very rarely am I serious. But this is something that means a lot to me. Every year at this time, I think about things. Today, Nov. 9 would have been my cousin’s, (BonnieBlue32’s son), 30th birthday. We are a very close family. All of my cousins are like my brothers and sisters. I contribute that to not having any brothers or sisters of my own. For almost 20 years of my life we were always together. We always attended every race, we took trips together, as I said he was my big bro. One day we had a small argument that seemed to get blown way out of hand. Like most arguments it was over nothing important. When Duane left that day he said, “you ain’t nothing but a PUNK a$$”. It’s funny sometimes how things come full circle. That’s why when the whole deal between Trevor and I happened, all I could do was smile and laugh. I replied to Trevor that it wasn’t the first time I had been called that, or the last. Duane and I went months without ever speaking words to each other. I didn’t worry though because racing season was only a couple weeks away, and any problems we had would be solved. There was no way we would miss that, right? Well it was the evening of March 24th, (his sister’s birthday), and my phone rings. It was his girlfriend at the time. She seemed upset,”Justin I know yall haven’t spoke in a while, but you need to call Duane”, she said, “He’s acting crazy”. Well like everything else in my life, I’ll do it tomorrow. Tomorrow never happened. We got the call later on that evening that he had killed himself. A part of me died with him. A lot has happened since Duane left us, I started racing just like we always wanted, I met Ashley, and his little sister is getting married. It has been many years ago but I still feel he is with me. I hate that his last words to me were calling me a Punk, but I waited to long to try and put it behind us. I will always wonder if I had called would it have mattered? If you can take anything from this story, I want you to take the time to talk to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. I dedicate this day to him every year. It helps me to remember what I have, and what I have had before. You may be able to do the same.
IN LOVING MEMORY of, (T.D.L), Thomas Duane Lucas 11/9/76----3/24/98