Life History of James Harris

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Dedicated To Main Page Life History Project

1. Tell about your favorite uncle.

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2. What changes have you seen in technology? (Indoor plumbing, water, telephones, computers, cars, etc.)

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3. Tell something you remember about one of your grandparents. (Were they funny, crazy, loving, mean, or special in a certain way.)

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4. Did you ever have an accident, illness, or an operation? Pick one and tell about it.

(The below is not a true story even though Jim claims it is, this is just his sense of humor. Next time Jim send me a real story!)

This happened to me a few years ago when I worked as a bricklayer:
On the day of the accident, I was working along on the roof of a new six story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had some brick left over which, when weighed later were found to be slightly in excess of 500lbs.

Rather than make several trips and carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the side of the building on the sixth floor.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow decent of the bricks.

You should note that I weigh 165Lbs. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equal, impressive speed. This explained the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collar bone.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.

Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of beginning to experience a great deal of pain.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, that barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight.

As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent, down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and several lacerations of my legs and lower body.

Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

However as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin its journey back down onto me. This explains the two broken legs.

5. Tell what your hobbies or interests are. (Do you sing, sew, write, hunt, build things, let us know more about you.)

I enjoy doing research and writing. I've had the good fortune of having books published (not New York Times bestsellers). One of the most interesting things I did was in 1994. I am a big fan of the jazz-rock group Steely Dan. They had played on tour and I saw them in concert. I found out that their keyboard player Warren Bernhardt, lived in Woodstock, only a few miles from me. I called him up and asked if I could interview him. We had a great interview; I was allowed to tape it. He gave me sample CD's and other pertinent articles. I transcribed the interview so he could review it. He only had one change because in their interviews they prefer not to have published information about future projects, so only one item was omitted.

I submitted the interview to a magazine for Steely Dan fans called Metal Leg. They published it and called it "one of the best interviews we've ever published." I'm hoping it will someday be included on their website at

http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/mllist.htm The title of the article is "Woodstock Warren."

6. Tell about the changes in television. (Anything you want, earlier shows vs. today's shows, invention of VCR's & DVD's, the sky's the limit.)

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7. Lets be romantic! Tell us about your valentine, first love, first crush, or how you were proposed to, or how you proposed to your sweetheart.

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8. What types of jobs have you had and which did you prefer?

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9. Who was your best friend while growing up, or who is your best friend now? Let us know a little about the friends you have had in your life.

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10. Tell us about your favorite Aunt

I think I am fortunate because I enjoyed all of my Aunts, on both sides of the family. Some aunts stand out because we spent more time with them. In the summer as children we would spend a week or two with Aunt Martha (on Mom's side) in Greenwich. This was our "vacation" when actually it was a vacation for Mom & Dad. I remember Aunts Carol & Gail (on Dad's side) playing with us as children. The big treat was when they would push us around in the wheelbarrow. For us it was a blast and it didn't cost a cent. One Aunt who I have a special memory for is our Great-Aunt Pearl. I always considered her a pleasant person to be around.

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