Meet the Beatles (not)

 I remember walking into my grandparents dining room sometime in 1964 and both of them laughing a little sheepishly. When my grandmother moved out of the way, I saw my grandfather seated at their dining room table wearing a wig.

 My grandfather, you have to understand, was bald - or nearly so - for all the years I knew him. He wasn't a vain man and a wig was the last thing I'd have expected. Plus the wig wan't gray; it was black.

 Turns out he'd bought a Beatles wig - a cheap, fuzzy, furry thing - that had elastic around the edges. It was for a joke. If I remember correctly, he wore it to a meeting of the bank appraisers (Mutual Federal Savings and Loan in Miamisburg) where he worked part time.

 Anyway, joke out of the way, he gave me the wig. I immediately donned it.

 I would have been 15 at this time.

 I don't remember Grandpa taking the picture of me but he must have. And then he must have followed me up the alley to Andy's Super Valu where both Dad (William H. Schmidt, above, age 40) and Andy (Andrew J. Schmidt, below) must have taken turns trying the wig on. They were both ready for anything that hinted at fun.

 Can you imagine professional businessmen doing this today?
 Ah, those early days of the Beatles. Anything was possible.