I believe my nephew Josh came into the world performing. He loved being the center of attention and could talk a blue streak to keep our focus on him. He also loved money, so occasionally we’d say, “Josh, if you can be quiet for five minutes, you’ll get five bucks.” He never lasted that long.
He loved music from birth and began playing the drums and being in talent shows when he was still in elementary school (his father is also a drummer). However, it was about that time that he stopped letting me take endless photos of him.
So I got a lot of grumpy:
and goofy:
Fortunately, he outgrew that phase and began letting me shoot him again. When I used to wonder if he’d remember his doting old aunt when he became rich and famous, he said he’d send me an autograph. He even autographed the leather patch from a pair of jeans to get in practice:
I don’t know if he’s rich and famous, but he’s recorded CDs with his bands, played several years at the Chicago Blues Festival, and shared the stage with some pretty impressive talent. I think he’s still okay with being related to me, but I haven’t received a recent autograph to prove it.