Todd Braswell

Todd Braswell was one of those kids who seemed to have everything. I loved to go over his house in December because every year he and his brother Ryan had the largest Christmas tree I had ever seen in a home. They also had stockings that were so big you could fit a large adult in them. I'm not talking about the leg of a large adult. You could literally fit an adult in those stockings, which are still the largest I have ever seen.

On Halloween, they had Giant pumpkins that you could fit a flexible adult inside -- and they always had the best trick-or-treat candy.

The Braswell house was usually home base for water balloon wars in the summer, which expanded to include the use of water weenies and innertube cannons. They also had a swimming pool, ping pong table, double bike and pool table.

When Todd turned 16 his parents bought him a red Mustang. His second car, purchased for him while he was still in high school, was a VERY FAST fluorescent yellow convertible Mustang with a white top. I almost died in that car during a camping trip taken after we graduated from Granada High School, Class of 1989. GO MATADORS!

We left the campsite and were traveling in Todd's car to the nearest town. He was speeding down a mountain road and passing a car on a blind turn when a large tractor trailer suddenly appeared. On a two lane highway, we zipped right between the big rig and another car. When Mike Andrews and I told him how stupid he was being he tried to tell us that he had everything under complete control.

I earned money for my mission by working for Todd's father at Braswell's Construction. Just before I left home for the mission field the work crew threw me a surprise going away party at Round Table Pizza. I thought it was extremely gracious, one of the nicest things that had been done for me up to that point in my life.

I can't remember details about how it came about but after my mission when I traveled back to California to visit my mother and speak in the Livermore Second Ward, Todd picked me up at the airport. While in traffic on the interstate we pulled up next to a limo. The back window of the limo was rolled down and inside was rock star Sammy Hagar with a woman in each arm. Todd was absolutely thrilled. After serving a mission, I was not, which was hard for Todd to understand.

My favorite Todd story was actually told to me second hand. He grew dreadlocks after high school. One day while at work he was drilling a hole in a wall and a dread got caught up in the drill bit and pulled his hair something fierce.

To me that is evidence that moderation in grooming is important and brings unseen rewards.

I believe Todd is still living in the Bay Area and working as part of his family's construction business.