John & John

John #1 (John Hoswath) has been playing this long harmonica since he was a little kid. He's a retired chemical engineer who now hangs outside this convenience store with his friend of one year John #2. The cosmos opened up and gave them to each other, they told me. John #2 is an engineer of some other sort, he said.

John #1 played "When the Saints Go Marching In" for me then wrote his e-mail address down in careful cursive so I could mail him a picture sometime:








As we were walking off toward a junk shop, my friends pointed out this wig and a pack of Rave cigarettes lying near the store. I bent down to take a picture of then John & John said, "We know the person who wears that wig. Take a picture of him!"

Then they hollered into the store, "Hey, Reginald, there's a nice young journalist out here who wants to take your picture. Come put your wig on."

A deep, tired voice called out from the store, "Fuckkkkk you."

Reginald walked out, obviously not amused. He was wearing maroon velvet pants, pretty sandals and a purse. A few paper towels were stuffed into the top of the pants, and a big beer belly hung over that. I worried that John & John were making fun of him, so I tried to same some nice, "No worries have a great day" then headed off to the junk shop.