Headaches

The small kid worked in a bowling alley as a pin setter, scampering around behind the lanes, sending back balls, raking away fallen pins, setting up new racks.  He got in a fight with another kid, who, apparently losing, whopped him over the head with a bowling pin.  His skull was soft where the pin struck.  Later, in high school, he boxed in the Golden Gloves...he was always fighting, with or without gloves.  In 1942, he was one of Darby's Rangers and no doubt gave and received blows while with that outfit.  In his 50s and 60s, he suffered terrible headaches and wondered why, as did his VA doctors.  I could have told them: He was my father.

(First Photograph by Stephen Ketzer, Grandfather Heretic, circa 1932;
Second Photograph, circa 1942, photographer unknown.)