Happy Birthday, Bear

Bear is a new addition. When I was a senior at BC, he was a sophomore. During high school and college, I'd see him from time to time at the Islands Y blocking Shane's shot or getting bullied by Mike Moore. I always thought he was a good guy; we just never hung out.

When I got to Southern, I began to hang out with Tyler a lot. Tyler lived with Jr. (Bear's brother) so I started to spend more and more time with Bear. It didn't take long to figure out that Bear loved the same things we all did: BC, Georgia, Athens, Savannah, and Tybee. It wasn't long before Bear and I made frequent trips up to Athens, down to Tybee, and to the gem of Statesboro, Chow Time Buffet.

Bear is one persistent mammal. He lacks the mental capacity to understand how a box jellyfish or two might have drifted into the Atlantic. He fails to understand that an offensive lineman with no previous knee problems wears a brace to prevent a torn ACL. But two things Bear does extremely well are get loud and never give up. At least one of these traits has allowed him to find a very nice human being to date. 7 or so years of waiting is nothing for Bears.

I know a lot of guys who went to BC, love Athens, and have done their own great deeds on Tybee. So what is it exactly that has allowed Bear into the most prestigious clique? In the 3 years I've been friends with Bear, I've learned that he will be there for the fun times, the scary times, the crazy times, and the bad times. He passes out from time to time, and you don't want to be around when he hibernates, but he's there when you need him.

Bear is surprisingly witty when it comes to social media and awkward situations. He loves BC as much as any of us. He's never one to give lame excuses when it comes to hanging out or doing whatever. He's a good guy and one of the most loyal friends I have. The guy goes through nicknames like Rick goes through girlfriends, and he takes it all in stride.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan