I looked down at my shoes Friday morning and saw that they needed a polish. I usually do it myself but reached into my pants pocket and found some cash, enough to sit down and have my shoes shined by someone else. Having your shoes shined is one of those simple pleasures in life that can make you feel good and liven up your step. I needed it Friday afternoon.
You see I had just spoken to a friend of mine who was just laid off from his construction job and was feeling kind of down about it. He is the second person I have spoken to in three weeks that has been let go from a good paying job. Both of these guys have years of experience and have parlayed that experience into good solid earnings. Now what are they going to do?
What I can tell you they will both do is press on and make finding work their full time job because I know that these are the kind of guys that would do that. Yet I could hear the discouragement in his voice, the worry and concern, and yes, the determination to get back in the saddle. I would have told him to get his hair cut but he wears the same hair style as me, none, shaved bald as a cue ball, aerodynamic. Getting your hair cut is also one of those simple pleasures that can lift one’s spirits for not too much dough. I wish I had thought of mentioning the shoe shine deal.
So I went off to see Rufus Pinkney over behind the Baumgartner Building in DeLand at his small shine shop. Rufus has been around longer than dirt and really knows how to get your leather looking good. It is a pleasant way to spend part of an hour relaxed, reading the paper, and chatting with Mr. Pinkney about goings on and such. Athe end after the last snap of the cloth, you look down, and what was a mess of scrapes and scuffs is now clean and smooth and shines like new. This was quite possibly the least expensive pick-me-up in town.
I recommend a lot of different things to get through these tough times, but definitely don’t forget to keep things looking good. Try a shoe shine on for size and make your day seem a bit better. It may even help you land a job as it is a sign of good stewardship of other things if you take care of your shoes. Hang in there folks. Things will get better.
Tags: DeLand, jobs, Rufus Pinkney