@tonytones

this is tony. everyone calls him tonytones or diamondtones.

tony works for diamond supply, co. i think he started working there about five years ago or so, and he's been doing well and moving up the ladder since. he's been going out to church for quite some time now, and he and i are in the same local community group that meets for bible studies during the week. he's super popular, and i think each picture he uploads onto his social network accounts gets a million likes and a thousand comments. the guy is a celebrity.

i've known tony since we were in the sixth grade. back when baggy pants and long spiky hair were still in, tony and i had a rough relationship that was expressed through bullying and crude insults. we were both kids, and neither of us knew much about grace and civility. i can't speak for him, but back then i didn't really care about him and i probably hated his guts. i was messed up.

after i finished college, i came back home and started seeing tony every week at church and at our community group meetings. i had seen him around whenever i was home when i was still in college, but seeing him a couple times throughout the week every week was definitely something i hadn't expected. i remember thinking, "man, this guy is everywhere!"

one night before our community group meeting had started, i sat down at the same table with tony and we started making small talk-things like plans for the week, employment or lack thereof, football, etc. i can't remember exactly, but i think we ran out of things to talk about, and we were still waiting for more people to show up. then tony asked me, "hey do you remember middle school?" flashbacks were flurrying through my mind. i said, "yeah, man. those were tough times." then we started talking about it. he didn't remember all of it at first, but i told him a few stories and after a while he started to say, "oh yeah! i remember that!"

then i remember laughing a little nervously while telling him, "yeah tony, you were a bully, man. i probably hated your guts in middle school and high school." then he said, "hey man! you were a bully too! i remember you made fun of me too and i was like, 'what the heck george!'" haha it's so funny now. that conversation is probably my favorite conversation with tony so far. we apologized that night for acting so childishly and for being immature in our youth, and i remember feeling that night the old wounds starting to close up and heal. after knowing him for almost twelve years, i was finally able to call tony a good friend.

tony is a faithful servant in the church, and he willingly offers his time to help serve the people around him. he's changed so much, and he's a living testimony of Christ's saving grace and power. i've got a lot of love for tony, and i look forward to playing many more church turkeybowl (flag football) tournaments with him as the team's star runningback.

if you don't know him, you should get to know him. if you've never talked to him before, greet him. his shaved head and general attire can make him seem intimidating, but tony is a freaking teddy bear-a teddy bear with gangster friends and monster celebrity hookups. kids love him, and parents love having him at their houses.

thanks tony, for sending me such wonderful gifts while i'm away!

time to rep diamond supply co in washington!