Cuban shoe shiner

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Cuban shoe shiner

Angelito caught my attention with the level of passion he was putting into what he was doing when I passed by him on the streets of Eastern Cuba. He started shining shoes at the age of 8 and is now 87. He asked me if I had met many people who have been doing the same job for that long. He said he loves his job because he can choose his schedule every day. He finds fulfilment in his profession through the conversations he has with his clients. He confessed that most people come to chat more than to get their shoes shined. He knows the whole neighbourhood and what goes on in everyone’s life, as the few minutes spent with each client fills him in on the latest news. He joked about how people like me wearing flip flops leaves him jobless.

Alisha Van Bever