The Paper Hanger

By Jim Hagarty

Not many people, I will guess, know a one-armed paper hanger.

But I do.

His name is Bob and he is a great guy. I used to know how he lost an arm but I forget the story now. He is also a one-armed carpenter and painter and, now that I think of it, a one-armed everything else.

No prosthetic arm for Bob.

Two things I know about Bob for sure.

He’s a really nice guy.

And he’s busy.

Author: Jim Hagarty

I am a 72-year-old retired journalist, busy recovering from a lifelong career as an unretired journalist. This year marks a half century of my scratching out little fables about life. My interests include genealogy, humour and music. I live in a little blue shack in Canada and spend most of my time trying to stay out of trouble. I am not that good at it. I also spent years teaching journalism. Poor state of journalism today: My fault. I have a family I don't deserve, a dog that adores me, and two cars the junk yard refuses to accept. My prized possessions include my old guitar and a razor my Dad gave me when I was 14 and which I still use when I bother to shave. Oh, and my great-great-grandfather's blackthorn stick he brought from Ireland in the 1850s. I have only one opinion but it is a good one: People take too many showers.