...French artist, Henri Matisse said, "Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."
BB was a creative person. He was curious and Independent, and yes, he did have a spirit of adventure and he most definitely had a love of play. Throughout the stories we share here today, we will see time and time again the creative spirit that shows up in every part of his life: throughout his childhood, within his relationships, and certainly in his chosen profession.
B began to show signs of that independent, creative spirit fairly early on when, at the age of five, he set his bed on fire! Apparently, he was experimenting with a lighter under his bed when things got a little out of hand.
Like many kids, B enjoyed skateboarding, bike riding, comic books, and playing pool...activities he continued to enjoy on into adulthood. But, unlike many kids, he managed to get kicked out of grade school. I'm not totally sure of the whole story behind that, but I'm sure there's a good one.
Someone once said that, "Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years."
I have a feeling L can attest to that. Age 17 was a banner year for B. During that year one night he stole his dad's truck to go joy riding with friends. He was in for quite a shock when he came sneaking into the house in the middle of the night only to discover that his dad was not asleep and was well aware what he had been up to.
On another occasion that year, he took a horrific fall at Lake Overholser when the ground gave way out from underneath him and he broke his back. The doctors expected that he would be paralyzed, but he showed his tremendous persistence and determination by fighting through the pain to be able to regain his mobility.
It was also at age 17 that B first tried his hand at tattooing.
We will now pause to listen to a song chosen by L because it makes him think of B, To Know Him is to Love Him by the Teddy Bears.
Song
Friendship isn't a big thing--it's a million little things. - Author Unknown
B had a way of adding his fun, creative, loving touch to all his relationships.
L described him as being the brother she never had. He called her "Dirty Hippy."
He and his friend, CJ, were sure they had been Mongolian warriors together in a past life.
He and friends J, D, and J began a unique little group called, "The Rabbits Beard Club." They are sporting some beards that apparently take more attention than most women's hair styles.
Brent was a prankster, he had a unique laugh and also some fashion sense shown by his oft repeated words, "Shirts are for work."...