#130 Shoe Polish

    “Shoe shine! Get your shoe shine!” Who actually uses those? Wait—is that Dad? Dad has taken a moment from the hustle and bustle of the airport to use the shoe shine station that you thought no one ever used. It looks like it’s been there before airplanes were invented and the shoe shine guy might brush his teeth using the polish—aka, he has none. But Dad insists it must be done. “Nothing like a good pair of shiny shoes” Dad musters with his signature smirk.

While you’ve been taught to stay away from shoe polish because of its ability to stain anything, even your skin according to mom, Dad embraces shoe polish for its renewable and rejuvenating effect on his beat up shoes. Much like Dad’s sweatpants or college sweatshirt, Dad’s shoes have been around and seen a lot. You’d never guess by the layers of shoe shine on them.

You do notice how worn out they are when Dad returns from work and claims “his dogs are barking.” Since when does dogs mean feet?  But you oblige Dad’s request and take off his shoes. That’s when you’ll witness the years of shoe shine and scuff on those shoes. From far away, they are professional, but up close you see the scratched character and smell from Dad’s “dogs.” 

“Dad—you need a new pair of shoes!”
“These things? Nothing a little shoe polish can’t fix.”

And off to his closet Dad goes. He reveals brushes, canisters, plastic bags and a mess of things almost as complex as his toolbox. Some of the things have multi use in his shaving kit, but that’s another story. And to your surprise, a couple schwoop schwoop brushes and the shoes look good as new. Shoe polish is Dad’s multi-purpose friend…well after duct tape.