Old Men
Holy smokes, it’s hot. I got the greatest thing today - it’s a scrapbook from the late 1930s/ early 1940s made by a short wave radio operator named Ralph E. Henry. It contains postcards from people he reached using his radio (it seems like that was standard practice), listing their name, comments and station call number (or whatever). The cards are from all over the United States and some are even from overseas. I liken it to talking to pre-internet AIM (getting in contact with people one doesn’t know and using abbreviations for “thanks,” “see you,” etc.). Anyway, from what I gather, Ralph’s hobby of being an operator turned into something quite serious when WWII rolled around. He helped track enemy planes and such and spread the word about potential attacks. I know if I read the articles included in the scrapbook I’d gain more insight, but…I’ve not yet done that. There are these really great black and white photos (8.5” x 11”) in the back, and the front of the book bears an embossed German Shepherd. It’s awesome. I love it and I hope that one day you can see it. I was going to post about short wave radio operators and all that when I remembered a man called Bill Porter and a 20/20 feature I saw years and years back about him. A made-for-TV movie was made on this subject, with William H. Macy playing the lead, but don’t let that make you think Bill Porter isn’t worth knowing about. It’s a heart-warming story and is one of the things that helped fuel my love for old men.
Consider this, the tagline that prefaces a Bill Porter article:
“Betrayed by a crippled body that leaves him in continual pain, betrayed by a changing world that no longer needs him, Bill Porter each day trudges his door-to-door sales territory, set on making his way in the world.”
- Bill Porter was born with cerebral palsy in 1932.
- His disability was caused by a difficult delivery and a doctor who, in trying to get Bill out, crushed part of his brain with the instrument he was using.
- Bill moved to Portland with is mother and when it came time for him to begin working, had difficulty finding a job because of his disability but refused to go on disability.
- Encouraged by his mother, Porter finally found work at the Watkins Company (more like he convinced them to let him work) as a door-to-door salesman.
- He became the company’s top seller with his persistance and I-won’t-take-no-for-an-answer attitude.
- Each day, Bill wore black wingtip shoes, a tan raincoat and a brown fedora (among other things).
- He has difficulty walking and doing other everyday tasks, has someone help with his deliveries, and eats frozen dinners, as they’re easy to prepare.
- No longer a salesman due to a broken hip suffered from an accident in 1998, Porter is still involved with Watkins and sells the wares online.
HOLY SHIT! I cannot believe this next fact. Let me work it into a short story: the other day, Andrew and I were at Target and came across this “natural” or “environmentally-friendly” or whatever line of products called “J.R. Watkins” that had this old fashioned packaging design. I thought it was probably just a ripoff of the packaging at H.O. Bigelow. Whether it is or not is still a matter of question, but not only is J.R. Watkins a legit brand, but it’s the brand Bill Porter sells!!!!