In some cultures, people wash the feet of guests who arrive at their home. At my parents’ house, I didn’t wash the feet of guests, but I did offer to shine their shoes.

And a surprising number of guests accepted.

When I was in Cub Scouts, we were able to select projects that, when completed, went toward credit for badges. Badges are how you advance in Scouts.

At some point, my dad found an old shoeshine kit, bought it, and gave it to me. It was a wooden box with two sloped lids angled towards the top. The handle was a wooden rail where the person getting the shoeshine placed their foot.

My decision to pursue shoe shines as a service option came from what my grandfather had always said: “Make do with what you have.”

Polish, brushes, and shine cloths were something I had and could use t

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