I have a number of hobbies, one of which is hoboing. I'm not going to even try and explain this other than to say it's no odder than people who go to STAR WARS conventions or reenact Revolutionary or Civil War battles. If you want to try and figure it out go to the web site hobonews.com and be sure to read all the links and watch all the videos. Then E-Mail me and explain to me why I do it. Anyway, hobos take on road names, usually train orientated, such as Railroad Bill or Box Car Willie. My road name is Jack Of Hearts. Following is it's origin:
My legal first name is Jack. I was named for my father's best friend John who went by the nickname Jack. When I started parochial school the nuns refused to accept Jack as my name since any good Catholic boy was always named for a saint. They dubbed me John and that stuck. I got even with those nuns by eventually becoming a Protestant, but, to this day, only family and close friends call me Jack.
In card decks the Jack Of Hearts is always pictured facing left. There is another side of him we do not get to see. That fits my personality in many ways. Being the lowest of the picture cards in a deck, after the ten and before the queen, Jack meets the minimum standard for royalty. My grandmother often quipped, "Jack, you're every other inch a gentleman." In many poker games the minimum to start a bet is a pair of jacks, "jacks or better." Before 1860, Jack was called the Knave, a male servant to royalty. Most of my working life as a piano technician, the majority of my clients have been the rich and famous. In French Jack is known as LaHire, a warrior. I have a violent streak, not usually evident unless you cross me. In 1976 Marvel Comics introduced a new super hero called The Jack Of Hearts, aka Jack Hart. He went about righting wrongs and defending the helpless. I have also tried to do some good for others in my life. After about ten years, Jack committed suicide rather than be imprisoned forever by his conquerors. A route I might choose under similar circumstances. There have been a few Jack Of Hearts in literature and song, notably on Bob Dylan's 1975 album BLOOD ON THE TRACKS. Jack is usually portrayed as an adventurous, charming, rouge who lives by his wits,and has a way with the ladies. He is likable, funny, and a good story teller. I'll plead guilty to most of the preceding and take the fifth concerning the rest.
I believe it was Shakespeare who asked, "what's in a name." Now you know.
