Jim
31 03 2008
This is Jim’s favorite picture of himself — he was 12 or 13 at the time and now he is in his sixties, so it was taken just about the time I was born, in 1952, probably with a Brownie. His cousin Joan took the picture in Scarsdale where they lived — I think it is early spring. I think what he likes about it is that it shows his spirit so clearly — he is happy, casual, confident, full of charm and a touch of the devil, as if he knew that he would grow up to be a force to be reckoned with. I love this picture too, but I can see that he is a neglected child — his parents, though well-off, did not concern themselves about his dress or his teeth, so his clothes are a little shabby and you can see that one tooth is chipped. To be fair, he must have been a handful. When he was about seven he took some of his fathers bullets and sat on a big boulder and bashed away at one with a hammer to see what would happen. The thing discharged and hit him in the leg — he still has the scar. It’s a good thing he didn’t get a hold of the gun!
Submitted by Olivia
