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A Tribute To A Friend
- A silence, a deeply mournful moment reflecting
a lifetime of memories filled the air
- Of an auditorium where sixty young men
sat in awe. That silence, that strange
- foreign silence created a collage in
my mind of thoughts, of visions, of dreams, and of fears. It replaced
the echo of ringing bells, the endless chatter of daily gossip
and all other sounds normally blended in harmonious unison indicative
of how life
- usually is, of how life used to be. Yet
now time ceased to exist and the world froze in place. In that
silence I relived many exciting experiences, many memorable
- moments I wished I could have back, times
I longed to have back. Then my
- confusion gave way to an epiphany, to
a realization, which shattered reality. I finally
- understood what I had been denying in
that silence. As tears trailed down my face, that silence, that
same silence which had shut out the entire world after stirring
the emotions of it yielded to the omnipotent prayer of a familiar
voice, "Heavenly Father, please watch over Rusty."
- After silence and prayer for our teammate,
our friend and our brother, we, the Naples High football team
stood together no longer grouped as varsity or junior varsity,
as seniors or underclassmen, but now as an inspired whole. Though
we accepted the severity of Rusty’s condition all negative
possibilities drowned in a sea of faith. For we believed, I believed,
Rusty would persevere.
- From the first time I met Rusty Larabell
and over the months of the summer when we weight lifted together
and threw footballs, Rusty and I became more than teammates; we
became good friends. One evening last summer when Rusty and I
had planned to practice pass patterns, a huge thunder storm came
down on us flashing lightning in the distance, through the heavy
gray sky, with booming thunder. Soaked and tired I suggested we
go home, but Rusty convinced me otherwise. We practiced for hours
in that violent downpour, making each other and ourselves better.
Through such
- experiences Rusty has taught me to take
adversity head on, to be undaunted in the face of fear. Perseverance,
my friend knew it well.
- Through his ordeal Rusty found strength
deep within himself. From the first time he was taken off Barron
Colliers home field in an unconscious state to Naples Community Hospital, during his surgery,
and to his death, Rusty incorporated his self reliant and perseverant
traits which so clearly defined him. His family and friends have
all taken comfort in the fact that Rusty will not experience death
alone. Fighting for life and facing death along side his Heavenly
Father, he exemplified the strong willed character of a true champion.
He knew what it took to win.
- Perseverance, my friend knew it well.
- The desire to press ahead, to stare down
the wrath of oppression is vital trait of the individual which
must be found in each of us. Man must understand that in order
for society to endure, we must overcome a selfish human nature,
discover the strength in ourselves and provide it for others.
The Guevara once said, "It is not a matter of wishing success
to the victim of aggression, but of sharing his fate, one must
- accompany him to his death or to victory."
One might say that my friend had fallen victim to the aggression
of circumstance, but that is far from the truth. In his struggle
Rusty instilled faith in many that knew him. Such a task may not
have been possible without the struggle of one courageous young
man and that is the victory of his death. An inspiration to all
Rusty’s will lives in each of us. His drive has inspired
me. His strength encourages many. His death has taught us all.
Perseverance, my friend knew it well.
-
Nicholas Nasrallah
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