Joe Wieder Don at his shoeshine stand.Dear Diary:
There’s a fellow, Don, with a shoeshine stand on the southwest corner of 47th Street and Avenue of the Americas. I began stopping by for the occasional shoeshine.
The first time I met him, he got my attention by clucking his tongue as I passed, pointing to my scuffed loafers and saying with a grin from ear to ear, “Man, you got to start caring again!†I’ve been a fan since.
I created a small diary of visits to the stand. Here are some of the entries:
It’s a beautiful sunny day in early December. It does get a little nippy out there perched on the stand, and soon it really will be winter. I suggested he have a small heater nearby and offer some espresso.
“Nah,†he said, “they can sit on their hands and bring their own espresso.â€
To a guy in an elegant suit and wingtip shoes who ignored Don’s repeated suggestions that he look at the state of his scuffed shoes: “Man, your ego isn’t going to last forever. What you going to do when it wears out!â€
To a businessman who turned briefly toward him when Don called attention to his shoes: “Good. You’re admitting you’ve got a problem. Admission is the first step! Get over here. You’re next.â€
The guy came over and climbed right up on the stand. Yes!
As a young suit hurried by, his eyes glued to his iPhone, his fingers furiously working, Don shouted after him: “SHOES, man! Look at your shoes. You’re not going to get a polish online!â€
Darned if the guy didn’t stop in his tracks, turn, and come back to get a shine. Don’s a street poet and a marketing genius!
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