My grandfather wasn’t shy about his disapproval of my long hair during a family gathering to celebrate his 80th birthday, which, in an odd twist, was held on my own birthday.

The extra lettuce was the result of working nights in a dangerously industrial work environment at the time. Personal hygiene didn’t fall by the wayside altogether, but my longtime clean-cut image was replaced for a number of years by an unkempt look that very much reflected my general mood.

Something about this picture is perfect. He died in 2018 on Valentine’s Day, aged 87.

Bartlett, Tennessee

July 25, 2010

© AMW