They FIX things

I have two pairs of leather shoes, both of which are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. The first pair, my brown dress shoes, I have owned for nine years; They have worn well, and feel like slippers on my feet. The second pair are more of an everyday casual/work shoe that I have owned for about four years. They were both expensive when I bought them (close to $200 each), but considering I typically run through other shoes within a year, they have both been worth the money.

The black pair started giving me trouble this winter- the left shoe really looked rough and salt-stained, and my foot kept getting wet. I was concerned that the shoe had finally given out, as a wet shoe in New England's winter is so picnic. However, the other day on Littleton's main street I noticed a sign for "Roy's Shoe Repair", and thought I would see if they could do anything about the problem.

Roy's is located on the lower alley side of the block that holds the Village Book Store (a wonderful place), with an old metal sign hanging over the door. The out of way location and inobtrusive facade make it the sort of place you could pass by a hundred times without noticing, and it almost felt like an invasion of privacy to open the door-- But, the experience of walking through that door is akin to finding a magical portal to another place and time.

The shop is cramped and untidy; Belts, ropes, and odds and ends hang from the walls or protrude from shelves erected in another era. The air is filled with the aroma of saddle soap, shoe oil and wax, and the machinery in the back room belong to the industrial age. A sign on the wall reads, "We fix Anything".

Roy Mercai looked over my shoes while his wife, Marilyn worked at an ancient sewing machine behind the counter. They appeared to me to me in thier early 70's, and his worn but deft hands quickly identified the problem with my shoes-- A slit through the sole that had allowed salty water into the the leather from the untreated side. He would have the shoes ready in 2 days' time.

The visit to Roy's Shoe Repair was somehow thrilling-- It is truly a throwback to another time, when main street was the hub of commerce, when relationships were as important as transactions, and when we fixed things, instead of just throwing them out. Two days later, when I returned to pick up my shoes, they were fixed, oiled and ready to go for the grand sum of $5. As I left the shop, I realized that I felt better than if I had just gone out to purchase a new pair of shoes. I felt connected to my community, connected to the past, and hopeful that if places like Roy's still exist then the future does not look all bad.