Doing what is right

Polish. It is important. Both in appearance and in your speech. It is all a part of understanding that "Presentation is the key". I was fortunate enough to have a Step Mom of whom taught this precept in both her talk and her walk.

Over the past couple of years the Oil and Gas sector in Calgary has been terrorized with lay offs due to the unstable world oil prices. This has put over ~100,000 people out of work many of whom are professionals -from Engineers to Sales people. Finding ample employment has been tough for many of us. I have been blessed with a strong network of mentors who have helped me to knock down the doors of opportunity and remain gainfully employed.

Today I went visit Ariel's Shoe Shine to get a fresh coat on my leather. Ariel has been shining shoes between Bow Valley Square and Suncor Place for many years. The hall of the +15 where his stand is located is usually lined with over a dozen pairs of meticulously polished shoes. Over the last couple of years I have noticed this number has been significantly reduced. As I was reading the newspaper while Ariel was polishing another customer's shoes I was moved by an incredible act of kindness as the other patron offered his $6.00 to Ariel:

"... No thank you sir. I know that you are looking for a job and I appreciate your business. When you get a new job please come back and I will shine your shoes and you can pay me then."

I'm sure that the downturn has hurt Ariel's business but he had the humility to shine another man's shoes free of charge so that man could look his best for his interview.

Doing what is right is doing what you can and when you can.

Ariel has been keeping my shoes looking new for over 12 years. Do yourself a favor and go see him for a shine.