The Gum Man 67 x 365

He wore faded blue overalls and carried a large Santa-like sack. Nearly every day he would walk past our house and if I were lucky enough to be outside, he would stop, reach into his sack and hand me a stick of JuicyFruit. I wonder if I ever thanked him.

Comments

Indigo Bunting said…
I love this portrait, and it leaves me wondering so much more about the guy. It also makes me think of some of the differences of childhood then and now. How many parents would NOT freak out over behavior like this today?
11/21/06, 7:43 AM
Cedar Waxwing said…
I know what you mean, on all accounts. I wonder about him too. I had not thought about him until I added him to my list, and when I began writing, I remembered more and more - like the sack. I'd forgotten it until I began writing.

Sometimes I think he was a 1960's version of a homeless person, other times I think he may have been developmentally delayed - a "Lenny" from Of Mice and Men character.

And I wonder what my parents thought about him. I think I asked my mom once, but she didn't remember him.
11/21/06, 7:55 AM
Otter said…
This reminds me of someone in my childhood that I sketched out awhile back, she gave stick of Juicy Fruit too.

I agree with IB about today's parents reaction.
11/21/06, 11:21 PM
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