Graham had a dual meet on Tuesday against nearby track rival Marshfield. His buddy Jack, a sophomore on his team, had been promising to beat him in the eight hundred, and finally they squared off. With three hundred meters to go, Graham passed Jack, but on the final curve, Jack ran Graham down. I was just getting off a flight, so Graham explained to me what happened next.
Graham: I was running halfway in lane one and half in lane two. Jack tried to pass me on the inside so I cut him off.
Me: As you should. And you held on to beat him, it looked like.
Graham: Yeah, I got him on the lean at the end.
Here is Lauren’s great photo of that moment.
Me: Are you guys okay with each other?
Graham: I mean, he did say after the race, “Dude, we’re on the same team!” If he had tried the outside I wouldn’t have done it. But yeah, we’re cool.
The official time had Graham edging Jack by one one-hundredth of a second.
But this, readers, is not the greatest photo ever taken. No, the greatest photo ever taken was this beauty from moments before.
Within a few minutes of Lauren sending it, Lindsay gleefully sent this edit back.
Then, about an hour later, Graham had a chance to analyze it more fully.
Graham: This might be the one greatest picture taken in history.
Lauren: Thank you!
Graham: Literally everyone in the entire picture got violated. Like everyone in the background got violated too not just me and Jack
Lauren: lol. It’s like I’m Lucia
Graham: 12 people violated in one picture
Lauren: lol
So let’s zoom in a bit. Here’s his buddy, Jack, who maybe wins if he doesn’t hold his breath.
Over here is their coach who is clearly thrilled with the showdown.
Then there’s this gathering.
No idea what’s going on here.
What’s up with his face?
Dude, pull your pants up.
Some people can sleep where they stand.
“So then I was like, ‘I can’t believe he said that to you!’”
“What brought me to this point? Do we even have free will? And, like, why?”
Yeah, tons happening in this photo—a perfect capture of the agony, ecstasy, and existential crises all in play at your average high school track meet. I’ve been trying for years to make it as a writer, but Lauren is the real artist in our family.
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