At seven, I imagined myself grown to man's estate in a black turtleneck sweater with a set of bongo drums and a goatee (trousers probably figured into the image, but I don't think I went to that level of detail). This was probably influenced in general by the image of the beatnik in popular culture, and specifically by Bob Denver's portrayal of Maynard G. Krebs in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. I never did the bongo drums, but I had a black turtleneck at one time, and have kept the fringed chin since 1970.

hirsutely,