Late in Dad's life Uncle Mike came up with this photo...a newspaper clip of Dad in his basketball gear...amazing. The difference between this kid and the one in the studio portrait. Although the outfits are similar, his place in the world is reversed, not being able to afford a uniform, he is awkwardly standing out as a "have-not," yet is a young wolf, filled with vigor and ambition. I really recognize that kid. All of the mysterious photographs from his years in the Marines have that quality - charisma, hunger, wildness. Some of that remained in my memory, but it was in eclipse.
Dad LOVED basketball. He played in the Marines. He bragged that the Marine 6th fleet team he was on beat the Greek Olympic Team - which was so funny to me as a kid. He taught me to shoot and dribble. I wanted to play basketball because I saw how it pleased him. I tried out for the team in 7th grade and was rejected - under height - I was five feet tall.
He watched basketball on TV on weekend afternoons and I fell asleep to that weird noise a gym filled with sweat and audience makes. When I hear a basketball game to this day I feel all sleepy.
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