I saw in the Merc blog the other day that Mr. Rubio of Rubio Shoe Repair in downtown Portland will be packing it in pretty soon. Back in the day when I was a full-time practicing lawyer, he put new heels and soles on many a pair of my shiny attorney shoes. He rebuilt a pair of Frye boots that I had at the time, and he even repaired a special leather wallet of mine that I didn't want to part with.

In those days he was working close to the courthouse. Now he's over on Ash, down by the Saturday Market, I guess. With his highly waxed and curly mustache, he always had a pleasant word or two as I sought his help to try to squeeze an extra year or two out of the shoes I bought at Nordstrom. He seemed like the quintessential small business owner -- hard-working, real as could be, and managing to get by. Now there's the kind of guy I wouldn't mind seeing a few of my tax dollars going to support.

There's a certain satisfaction that comes with being good at what you do for a living. I'll bet you Mr. Rubio feels it. Maybe I ought to find something in the closet for him to fix, just one more time before he retires, for old time's sake.