The Idea

Large Scale Portraits of people with a lot of life experience that integrate the actual words of their stories into the lines and wrinkles of their faces.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Next Interview: Bill Lawson, 99

I just got off the phone with an old and very dear friend of mine, Bill Lawson of Owosso, MI. In all honesty, I didn't know if Bill was still around. I started my search for him by googling his obituary. With none found, I searched is phone number and sure enough, he answered on the first ring! I met Bill when I was 16 years old and he was 87. He used to trot all over town, miles at a time, with nothing but his walking stick. Always self deprecating, he would speak of how slowly he moved now that he was an "Old Man". Inevitably, his next sentence would be "Oh, I can walk faster than this! You don't have to walk slow because of me." Most people from the small town of Owosso would recognize Bill. He has been a bell ringer for the Salvation Army for many, many years and in all kinds of weather. I'll have to ask him if he still does that.

My dear, old friend is 99 now and I am so thrilled to have an appointment to interview and photograph him this Tuesday. I told him all about what I'm doing. He says "I'm happy to help you win that big sum of money." Ha ha! What a sweet guy! He told me it would be an honor but, truly, I am the one honored.

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