The General
You can read more about my $2 Portrait Project here.
"Hey you think you can give me 25 cents so I can catch the bus here," was the opening line as I ran into The General at the intersection where McCoppin and Otis meet in San Francisco's Mission District. "How about a better idea," I suggested. How about I give you $2 for your portrait for my $2 portrait project?" I asked The General. But I don't have $2 to pay you he said. No, I told him I pay *you*.
Well The General liked this idea and agreed to pose. When I asked him his name he proudly blurted out "The General!" Why do they call you The General I asked. "Because I've always been The General, El General, of whatever street I'm on. From San Francisco to Oakland. They all know me as the General.
"You got kids?" I asked the General. Two he answered back. But they're older now. They still live in the Bay Area. My son lives down in Hayward. Where you from originally, I asked him. El Paso Texas, he answered back.
I stopped taking photos and we talked a bit more and The General told me that he'd been in two episodes of the show Nash Bridges. He told me that he played a drug dealer who gets killed. I asked him if he made a lot of money doing that and he said, no, that they never paid him. They never paid you, I asked. How'd that happen?
The General told me that a railroad cop had caught him in a railroad yard over in Oakland and told him that either he could give him a ticket or he could drive him over to the set for Nash Bridges and he could be in the show. It seemed like an easy choice for him.
I asked The General if he was still married. Nah, he said, I'm an alcoholic.
With that I told the General that I had to get going on my way and wished him well. Thanks man he said. Hey, one more photo he said as I started to leave. Sure thing General I said, turning to shoot one last shot of him. Take it Easy General I said. You too man you too.
The General
You can read more about my $2 Portrait Project here.
"Hey you think you can give me 25 cents so I can catch the bus here," was the opening line as I ran into The General at the intersection where McCoppin and Otis meet in San Francisco's Mission District. "How about a better idea," I suggested. How about I give you $2 for your portrait for my $2 portrait project?" I asked The General. But I don't have $2 to pay you he said. No, I told him I pay *you*.
Well The General liked this idea and agreed to pose. When I asked him his name he proudly blurted out "The General!" Why do they call you The General I asked. "Because I've always been The General, El General, of whatever street I'm on. From San Francisco to Oakland. They all know me as the General.
"You got kids?" I asked the General. Two he answered back. But they're older now. They still live in the Bay Area. My son lives down in Hayward. Where you from originally, I asked him. El Paso Texas, he answered back.
I stopped taking photos and we talked a bit more and The General told me that he'd been in two episodes of the show Nash Bridges. He told me that he played a drug dealer who gets killed. I asked him if he made a lot of money doing that and he said, no, that they never paid him. They never paid you, I asked. How'd that happen?
The General told me that a railroad cop had caught him in a railroad yard over in Oakland and told him that either he could give him a ticket or he could drive him over to the set for Nash Bridges and he could be in the show. It seemed like an easy choice for him.
I asked The General if he was still married. Nah, he said, I'm an alcoholic.
With that I told the General that I had to get going on my way and wished him well. Thanks man he said. Hey, one more photo he said as I started to leave. Sure thing General I said, turning to shoot one last shot of him. Take it Easy General I said. You too man you too.