Among the many things I learned growing up with a father in the United States Navy are how to shine a pair of dress shoes and equally shine a brass belt buckle. Skills I seldom use now, but the principals learned at that time continue with me today.
- First and foremost, polished shoes and shiny brass elevate one’s appearance to the next level and is a must if you are going to pass inspection. I suppose we all in our own way try to present ourselves in a way to not be judged inadequate by others.
- I also learned that shoes that are polished in the morning are often dull by the end of the day and that which is shiny can become tarnished rather quickly. I have found that my attempts to clean myself up are often short-lived should I find any initial success.
- Polished shoes and shiny brass are pointless when there is a stain on your shirt. In the same way, areas of one’s life may appear all and well but there are areas of each of our lives that are best hidden behind a nice coat.
- Keeping oneself presentable often requires manipulating your sons into a competition as to who can make daddy’s shoes the shiniest. I found that comparing myself to my brother was a waste of time. I eventually learned that when we were done competing, dad would secretly give his shoes a good once-over himself.
- Polishing a brass buckle would leave the polisher’s fingers turning black. It seemed a tradeoff was being made. Oftentimes, our concern about our own appearance is done at the expense of another.
- The number one product for cleaning brass belt buckles in our household was Brasso. My brother and I found the substance to be very effective at polishing spent shell casings that were traded like prison cigarettes among the children on the military base. Sneaking on to the firing range afterhours was dangerous but very worth it. The shinier the casing, the higher the value.
- No matter how good my dad looked in his dress uniform, I couldn’t wait for him to change clothes because he never did anything fun in that uniform.
- Ultimately, I learned that appearance may be important, but it certainly isn’t everything. I always appreciated my dad as being someone described as down to earth, honest, and a great friend to have. And that, in my book, is better than anything Brasso or Kiwi shoe polish can improve.
Thanks for 20 years of service in the Navy, Dad. I would not trade those days of my childhood for anything. And thank you to all who wore a uniform. Continue to keep your gig line straight, your boots polished, and your brass untarnished. You never know when there will be a surprise inspection.
