July 1990

As the only girl, I was the odd man out whenever my cousins came to visit. At home with my brothers, I was used to being the oldest and the best at whatever needed doing. Next to my cousin Justin, I wasn't the oldest, the tallest, the strongest, or just about any other -est.

This photo was taken during a visit to Maine after we'd moved to Canada, and it's notable for me not for what it shows but for what it doesn't show. When the camera clicked again about three seconds later, I had Justin in a headlock. My grandmother kept that picture on the green fridge you see behind us, probably held securely in place with one of the little Cabbage Patch Kid magnets in the corner. She gave me this one.

I forgot all about the incident, didn't realize there was a photo on display, and had no idea how much this irked my cousin until we visited Maine again the next year.

It was the first thing Justin said when he saw me: "HEY! Gram's got a picture on her fridge of you with me in a headlock!"

My response? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Life with Justin was a constant game of one-upmanship, and to have photographic proof of the few seconds I'd bested him was sweeter than the jelly beans my grandmother kept hidden in the crockery.