George Walker

George was the Chief Stylist for the Ford Motor Company in the late 1950's. He presided over the very large, curved building known as The Ford Styling Studios. He had an article written abut him in Time Magazine in which he was drubbed the Celini of Chrome. He drove an all white Lincoln convertible, white paint, white leather, white instrument panel, white sidewall tires. He had an all white, large dog which he ferried around in the front seat. He liked attention. He looked like Santa Claus without the beard and white hair. His face was ruddy and his belly did shake like jelly. He was fond of walking down the very wide center isle in the Styling Building and greeting everybody that he passed by. His greeting was mostly the same: "Hi,ya fella" and he would extend his hand for a handshake. His smile was infectious and everyone around him usually was smiling. Everybody in that building knew him and his penchant for shaking hands.

One day, while walking with another designer, we were closing in on George coming our way. After shaking hands my partner said to George: "How about buying us a drink." I could not believe he said that and found it an imposition on him. However, George quickly put his hand in his pocket while saying: "of course, take what you need." My partner took some coins out of his hand and George offered it to me. At this point I looked into George's hand. It was puffy with fat fingers and it held many coins of all denominations, including a St. Christopher medal. As I reached into his hand a strange feeling came over me. I felt like a beggar with shabby clothes and appearing hungry. I remember thinking: "Why am I doing this, I can buy my own drink." It felt like I was grovelling for his largess. I played the part of the good employee, took out some coins and thanked him. He was soon on his down the isle.

I never forgot that feeling. It was not the first time that I reached into a persons hand for a coin because it happened often when selling papers on the corner of Lawndale and Vernor. But this was significantly different from the transaction of getting money for a paper while giving the paper in return. This was downright demeaning and I was shamed by doing it. I resolved then to never put myself in that kind of position again.