There has been a lot of things already said about my Friend, Rick Partain. And, approriately enough, much more will be and needs to be said. This will not go away for a long time. Rick made too great an impression on all the lives he touched for us to feel normal for a long, long time. I do not sit down here to say the right thing, or the best thing, or the most memorable thing about Rick. Most of the things I have heard this past week from others have been my very thoughts. Just had someone else say it for me.
This is more for me than any one else, mainly because I dont get reactions from what I write any way......
The first time I heard the name, I was part of a YMCA flag football league. We were told by guys on another team that it was a good thing thatwe didnt have to play a certain team of guys from Patrick Henry because they had a guy named Partain, just Partain, who was great.
When I first got to San Fernando, Rick was the first friend I made. We were about three weeks apart in age. We had so many similar interests. And we both loved to laugh and make others laugh.
We loved to play sports. He still was very much involved playing with guys 30 years his junior. But in the high school days, we played whatever sport was in season. Softball in baseball season, football until it got too dark to see. And basketball. We used to call his jump shot the "Oops shot". Because everytme he would shoot, it missed the mark by so much that he would say, OOPS.
I was thinking that so many people are known by only one name. Pele, Madonna, Wayman, Lebron, Koufax, Mays. We all knew Ricky Lamar Partain. But you didnt need to say the entire name. Because all you had to say was, Partain. that was enough to bring a smile to my face and everyone else got that warm feeling that we were in for a good time.
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