“Jimbo”

I was on the 1 train going uptown to see Nicole in the hospital. As I sat down, I saw this gentleman sitting across from me. A stop or two passed before I asked him if I could take his picture. He smiled and replied, “Yes.”

I asked him his name and about his headdress. He told me his name was “Jimbo”, and that he made and wore the headdress to make himself happy. I didn’t ask him about the tinfoil on his teeth. (Ouch!) He told me he was homeless, but worked a lot of part time jobs. He was between them now. He mentioned that he was sleeping in a subway station, but had to move as they were cleaning the platform.

My stop arrived and I wished him well. I gave him a few dollars and thanked him for letting me take his portrait.