Love from: Steve Brussard
I have more than a few great memories of Lauren. Hands down, your dad is one of the funniest people I know. I wouldn’t describe him as a stand-up comedian but he sometimes reacts in the most amusing ways to common and not so common events.
My funniest memory of Lauren was created at an event that took place almost twenty years ago in Tulsa. You guys were visiting and, as always, we were trying to come up with something to do on a Saturday in Tulsa. At that time, the University of Tulsa had a top twenty basketball team and, on that particular day, TU was scheduled to play Wichita State, which was also one of the top ranked teams in the country at the time. Back then, unless you had season tickets, it was very difficult to get tickets to TU basketball games. Doubly so when TU was playing a highly ranked team. However, through Peggy’s connections, we were able to get tickets for us to the ball game. I was surprised Lauren was interested in going since I had never noticed him displaying any interests in spectator sports. However, he happily agreed to go.
The game was sold out. The atmosphere was electric! Fans from Tulsa and Wichita State were clapping, screaming and stomping their feet before the first tip-off and didn’t let up after the game began. Throughout the game, the noise was deafening, particularly in the area where we were sitting which was near one of the baskets and the TU student section. Although he didn’t exactly join in the frenetic activities, between yawns, Lauren appeared to be slightly riveted by the spectacle.
The game was not decided until near the very end of the contest. It was a nail-biter. In fact, during the last minute of the game, no one in the entire arena was sitting, except for one person. As TU sank the winning basket with less than 3 seconds on the clock the arena erupted with people screaming, jumping, dancing and hugging each other. At that very same moment, I looked to Lauren who was to my right. Apparently, the stimulation had overwhelmed Lauren. I don’t know if it was caused by one of what has to be one of the worst cases of undiagnosed narcolepsy but he was fast asleep in his chair oblivious to the pandemonium swirling around him. I had to shake him a few times to rouse him. I don’t know how long he had been out but once he regained consciousness he acted as if he had never nodded off and was quite insistent on deciding then and there whether we should have barbeque or Vietnamese food for dinner that night. He had worked up quite an appetite
To this day, I don’t know if Lauren ever knew who won the game and he has never acknowledged that he dosed off. But the image of Lauren contently napping in that chair during a virtual riot is still one of the funniest memories I have of my beloved brother-in-law. Steve.
