Many writers including Joan Didion have written some form of this, “I write because I want to know what I am thinking.”

Many who inspect my photographs in my blogs just look at them. The writing perhaps is tedious so they avoid it. To me that is not important. Writing gives me a sense of purpose. It helps me make some sense of my life this far.

Today I found these two colour negatives which I shot in Austin, Texas sometime in 1959. On the left is Old Main, where my dormitory and classes were at St. Ed’s High School. It was a Roman Catholic high school that in the late 60s ceased its activity to become part of a very good liberal arts university, St. Edward’s University.

I like the juxtaposition or the closeness of these two negatives. On the right is the back of Mr. Marshall’s head. He was the only lay teacher I had while at St. Ed’s. He taught me English Lit and writing but I remember him fondly for having exposed us to an excellent Civics. To this day I understand American politics, its Constitution and anything connected with misdemeanors, homicide and other terms used in the American law system.

Mr. Marshall had a temper which he controlled. But you knew he was angry when his face turned to a similar shade of red like his hair.

In all my exposure to his terrific classes I remember the one time he told us a joke. As he had been a soldier in the US Army during WW-II he told us that when they liberated Paris there was a famous street called Chance for Easy Lay.

I have always been fascinated by red hair. My mother frequently told me that I had had a sister who was born dead. Her name was Victoria, and she had red hair.