This story comes from Gypsy. We’ve posted a number of her synchronicities, which are always richly textured and detailed. This one is startling.
+++
The MacGregors’ post on March 15 regarding
“untimely” deaths finds me remembering even more than usual the very unusual and especially untimely death of an old friend in Shreveport, Louisiana. I first met Graves Thomas through a dear friend many moons ago, back in the early 80s. My friend and Graves were both local attorneys known as “those renegade/maverick lawyers” because they took cases that no other attorney would take – those involving civil rights violations, reputed crime figures, drug smugglers, white collar criminals. You name it. If a wrong had been done, an injustice imposed, my friend and Graves were there.
In a court room they were poetry in motion. In real life outside the court room, they were just as
beautiful – both in their early 40’s, their charisma and charm were surpassed only by their passions. And they were passionate about everything around them – the law, their clients, seeking justice no matter the personal or financial cost, their friends and family, for good food and drink and good times and fast cars. Then there was their renegade/mavericks good looks – both long haired, gorgeous men, suntanned, dressed in pin striped suits of the day. They both participated in all the extreme sports. They were the golden boys.
The memorial day weekend of 1987 was to be another weekend at Lake Bistineau, a weekend of fun and sun, boats and skiing. swimming and good food. Graves had a new ski boat to take out, so off they went. Then, when the weather went from good to not so good, they brought the boat in. During the process, as talk was made of the thunderstorm overhead while they were docking, Graves – being Graves, stood up, threw both arms into the air and shouted to the heavens, “HERE I AM!”
At that very moment, a lightning bolt struck him in the head, killing him instantly. To make this story even more interesting, at the time of his death on Lake Bistineau, Graves was representing a Lake Bistineau man accused of recklessness in a boating accident that killed three people on that very lake that same month.
At the time of his death, he had also just been hired by the family of a man accused of child rape whose criminal trial had not yet taken place. Ultimately, this accused man was convicted of the crime and went to jail where he stayed for 22 years. He was exonerated when the paralegal who had been working for Graves at the time of his death years later persevered to have the man’s DNA submitted and it was found not to match any DNA associated with the crime.
So there you have the many curious but not surprising facets of one man’s life and legacy.
This one looks very stretched, but this is how synchronicities or coincidences work for me. I was thinking about posting this comment yesterday. After reading this text, the name of the band "Bolt Thrower" popped in my mind. I expected to "meet" them one more time. This musical article https://www.avclub.com/articles/the-dillinger-escape-plan-option-paralysis,39422/ is also posted yesterday. Their comments look exactly how I suggested to the people from 2020.global.gaiaspace.org a few days ago (I called it subtopics). Bolt Thrower is mentioned in the comments more than once. I don't want to go deeper into that you don't actually expect to see Bolt Thrower mentioned on that web page, because this comment is already too long and I am the only one who sees synchronicity here.
A WoW factor synchronicity for sure. 🙂
Amazing.
Although life is when you sit and look at what is happening around you, even the mundane have their hidden gems of synchronicity too, it is just that they give up looking I guess….
As a true story, it's awesome. It wouldn't work as fiction, though. The scene where he gets killed would be sooooo over the top. The reader's sense of belief would be shaken. As in, 'That wouldn't happen in real life. But it did.
R
It really is an amazing story. I wonder if the power of Graves's personality is what drew the experience. HERE I AM. Oh, well, then, said the universe. OK.
Awesome story that could be so easily expanded for pages and pages of fascinating details and chills.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow, oh Wow! "Richly textured" is right; that story is so loaded with irony, fun-loving egotism, taking-the-unpopular-stance/case, and mostly the ultimate question of probability-reality: What might have happened to the wrongfully accused had Graves lived to take the case. BTW, do you know the outcome of the Lake Bistineau reckless boater?
Thank you Gypsy and MacGregors!
wv: sestst
Another amazing tale. It makes me think about the power of our words.
"HERE I AM!"
It sounds like a challenge. It does make one wonder.
These things sand shivers up my spine.
oh, goodness, reading the story again even after all these years, and i got cold chills as if it were yesterday – and i'm still taken aback by the irony of it all – i think of graves and my friend and wonder – well, i just wonder –
haven't seen my friend in years so think i will look him up when i get home –
thanks for your interest, macgregors! i'm sure graves is standing around somewhere laughing watching listening – getting a kick out of his "continuing" legacy…