This was the first time I saw Mayor Kevin Johnson up close.
A few weeks ago, I went to the State of the City/NBA Finals Re-Enactment, and saw him on a larger stage. This time, he was right across the table.
At an event at The Bee the other night, I was asked if it was important for me to see my subjects in person. I replied that it was useful, but video was good, too. In person is better.
As I was (slightly) late for the meeting, because Mayor Johnson was (a half hour) late, I didn't get to shake hands or chat. He left a bit early. But he did give me enough time to get a look. He was certainly athletic-looking, but didn't give off the NBA Player as Frightening Giant effect that I had experienced when seeing other NBA stars, such as Bill Walton, Chris Dudley, or Maurice Lucas. These were enormous men with massive heads and hands. Johnson seemed like a good-sized man who spent time at the gym.
The thing that immediately struck me was what the mayor was wearing. While editorial writers are not necessarily known for their sassy fashion attitude, the men were all pretty much wearing dark suits, and the women were stylishly low-key.
Kevin Johnson looked like he just stepped out of a Brooks Brothers Summer catalog. I thought that Mayor Tom Wolfe had walked into the room. (I didn't check for spats.)
He had a light blue windowpane blazer on, a pink shirt, khakis, and a floral handkerchief. I have seen lots of things before, but I had never seen a floral handkerchief. I mean, it was fine and everything. I have just never seen one.
I expected a more mayoral outfit like I have seen other mayors wear (gray or navy suit, white or blue shirt, red or blue tie--political Garanimals), but I wasn't expecting that he'd look like the cruise director while we looked like a bunch of, well, editorial writers.
I think it's great that he wore all this.
Now I just feel like I need to look like a billion bucks around him.
Anybody got a number for a Whale? I need a quick loan.
• Read more articles by Jack Ohman
Order Reprint
Jack Ohman joined The Sacramento Bee in 2013. He previously worked at the Oregonian, the Detroit Free Press and the Columbus Dispatch. His work is syndicated to more than 200 newspapers by Tribune Media Services. Jack has won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the Scripps Foundation Award, the national SPJ Award, the National Headliner Award, the Overseas Press Club Award, and he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and the Herblock Prize in 2013. He has written and illustrated 10 books, many of them about fly fishing. Jack has three grown children.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.