Characters in my life... real and imaginary

I worked my way through college. Freshman year my first job was cafeteria table police, where I separated done eating students playing cards from want to eat students. She, my future wife, I busted and busted again, another time, and then again. JoAnn, as she’s called, simply wasn't taking lunch seriously. (A serious student ate then politely left, allowing others to squat and gobble.)JoAnn and her side-kick, Nancy (dyed-n-the-wool New Yorker, living on Bleeker St. across from NYU) were recalcitrant recidivists. To the right is a mug shot of JoAnn in her dress up prison garb. (And to think she was National Honor Society material)!

Below is me exactly one year before I crossed paths with the one who didn’t understand NO! STOP! DESIST! OKAY, GIVE ME THE CARDS, JOANN! I was just your average Jock. They gave me a special sports jacket with a University badge hoping to increase my commanding presence and easing my job as playing card confiscator.

Off and on we He’d and She’d for four years. Finally, we nailed it down to each other and set our sights on San Francisco. Hell, it’s 1969, where else would we go. After all, I had convinced JoAnn Telegraph Ave. leading to U.C. Berkeley was the center of the Universe. And we’d be just across the Bay where Haight-Ashbury was the other center of the Universe. JoAnn (the National Honor Society chick) never questioned my logic describing a Universe with two centers. Below is my hand drawn portrait of us as we wandered... between the two centers.

Finally the day came for connubial bliss. Yes, we marched off to San Francisco's courthouse and were married by the guy below. As I recall, it was the Judges' first civil ceremony and he suffered a mini panic attack. So, I said, " Hey, slow down Hoss! Sit. Take three deep breaths!" He said, "I've got something better than that." I don't know what it was, but everything went strange. And as we said goodbye, I swear he looked like this!

The years passed. Oh, how quickly they pass. I think it was my father, or perhaps a pet turtle, but one of them said. "If ya live long enough you're gonna get old. Expect changes... all kinds of changes. Mrs. Haste yee back pursued a career in Social Work and came away with a CPA. Don't ask. I don't know how ya do that either. Anyway, here's a picture of me coming home after a long day mining words: note sack, pick and that rejected writer look.

And here's Mrs. Haste yee back welcoming me home. She's changed too. See the look of delight on her face as she knows, in her heart, her Old Man's got a sack of righteous words for a book that'll change their lives. I

mean, money over the transom. Note the chest with lock behind her. She believes in me and that's where she's gonna keep her money when I make it!

I've gotta wrap this, so it's gonna go quick now. Below is my sketch of Mrs. Haste Yee back when I forgot our 28th Anniversary and her nose hadn't grown so long. Don't know why she's so peevish. She once said let's forget the whole thing!

Now, this is my interpretation of what Mrs. Haste yee back says I look like when I'm HUNGRY! I don't think I do. But she stood over me and directed every line I drew until she grinned with satisfaction. First of all, I don't have that much hair anymore!

But, when all is said and done, we still feel young and love each other! Mrs. Haste yee back once told me I was better than nothin.!

Haste yee back ;-)

All art copyrighted to Robert Wahl