A Story about Me and John

John Lennon – Walls and Bridges, the original 1974 album cover (l) and a later reissue cover (r) using photography from the original liner artwork

I live on the Upper West Side of New York City.

A few months ago my wife casually mentioned some pictures on her eye doctor’s wall from when John Lennon was his patient.

I stopped in my tracks. All I could say was “how the hell is this the first time you’re telling me this?!”

She said she thought she had told me about it before.

She most definitely had not.

The next time I walked by the office (it’s right in our neighborhood) I walked in.

The Eye Doctor’s Office

There on the wall towards the front of the office, stuck up nonchalantly amongst hanging eyeglass cases and clippings of mentions in local magazines, hung a picture of John, and a photo from the Walls and Bridges album, with him wearing the numerous pairs of glasses that he had gotten from this doctor’s office.

Assorted Clippings

Among all the other wonderful things about Manhattan’s Upper West Side, I love living in the neighborhood that John called home with Yoko during the last, and allegedly happiest chapter of his life. (At least that’s how I like to think about it).

I certainly can’t walk anywhere within range of The Dakota without thinking of him.

A few years back, on the anniversary of his death, I was compelled to write a little piece about how the best artists touch our lives.

It’s been all these decades since he was so horrifically taken from this world, and I still think about John Lennon all the time.

I bet I’m not the only one. (Almost said “I imagine”…)

Do you?

Bob Gruen album photography