What is it about having my shoes shined that brings such a good feeling?
It’s not just the end product, although there’s a certain proud feeling walking around in a pair of newly polished, squeaky clean, shiny shoes. It has nothing to do with being served or pampered. No, it's more than that.
There’s something almost Zen-like in those five to ten minutes that I’m sitting in that big, comfy, worn-leather, throne-like chair. It’s a feeling of being removed from the world for those few minutes, where nothing else really matters. Relaxed in the chair, I am held captive until the shoeshiner is done his or her job. (A job they do with remarkable focus and pride, I might add. When I’ve polished my shoes at home – and it’s been a long time since that happened, since I’ve discovered the joy, ease and inexpensive option of visiting the shoeshiner – it’s been a real chore. The sooner I finish, the better. But while I would be done the job in a few minutes on my own, the shoeshiner goes on and on, polishing and wiping and shining for another five minutes or more. But I digress.)
Held captive in that comfy chair, sitting high above ground level, I am the king of my domain. I can read the morning paper, listen to some music, check emails, or simply people watch – all while sitting completely still for those few moments, nowhere else to go… nowhere else I’d rather be. While the rush of the city and Grand Central terminal goes on around me, I am still, peaceful, contemplative. We don’t get many moments like those every day. Who knew a simple stop at the shoeshine stand could deliver so much more than a shiny shoe?
