Latter Day Diogenes

Norman Rockwell Illustration 1924

I just love coincidences and could not resist reproducing this message received from Jim Christy today on the eve of his 71st birthday. I'm sure he won't mind, but it was too good to pass over:

'A curious incident of note

I went to a thrift store this afternoon in search of old old paintings
which I cut up and collage into new paintings. Didn't find any but did
find a thin board with a reproduction of a Norman Rockwell
illustration. The same picture used to hang near the fireplace in my
grandparents house in the sticks of Virginia. It shows an old tramp
seated on his trunk, an old hound dog is nuzzling him. He's wearing
old tramp shoes and a battered hat. I loved this when I was a little
kid and thought the man incredibly old. I wanted go around with a
trunk and old dog. Looking now I see that he is my age and on the
trunk is the name of his destination lettered on. You can just see the
first few and last few letters but it can't spell anything other than ... 

[the name of Jim's current place of residence]

Life she is strange.'

I was sent this image from China in response to this post