Spit Polishing
When I was younger, I learnt the art of spit polishing shoes. It’s an exacting art, an all consuming one. There comes with the forward one, backward one swish motion a conscious sense of being lulled into a quieting submission by the sound alone.
There occurs between those motions a distinct reprogramming of the over-programmed mind. We don’t simply feel it, our minds know it. There is also something deeply satisfying about hearing brush against leather. About seeing tired leather being brought back to life again.
Polished shoes tell you something about a person. I’ve often wondered what exactly and over the years I’ve settled upon the idea that perhaps they reveal a measure of control and regiment in a person. A certain neatness of the mind. All purely supposition on my part I might add.
And if it were true, this neatness of the mind bit, why should it matter? Who cares about whether someone polishes their shoes or not? I care for myself. I care that I have polished shoes. Strange but true.
Whether someone else chooses to or not is entirely up to them. I care because I feel like nothing is left undone, I’m putting the very best boot forward that I can. I couldn’t imagine doing anything less of course. From time to time, I rebel by leaving my shoes unpolished for as long as I can comfortably stand, but I must admit, that isn’t always very long! I’m hopeless like that!
So here’s the thing. Boot polishing aside, a tidy mind is a wonderful facility from which to begin anything. It implies an existing discipline that has and can be built on. Anyone who practises such a discipline will also tell you it gets easier the longer you practise it. It gives a person the freedom to go off in any direction they like knowing full well they’ll also have the where-with-all to get the job done. Polishing shoes is how I got my groove going.
Most people these days don’t polish their shoes but there are an awful lot as well that still do. Like I said, it’s entirely up to the person but it sure is satisfying if you do. Go on, have a go!
