Scuff Marks By Simone Ochrym

I noticed one day that may favorite black shoes were all scuffed up. I thought of Travis right away. My shoes never shined like his shoes. I remember Travis teaching me how to shine my shoes. At the time I didn't realize the importance of this interaction or how it kept me in touch with Travis. That night when I returned home late and tired, I collected my shoe polishing equipment. A soft cloth, kwick paste polish, and a lot of spit. I spit polished my shoes just like Travis had instructed me too. All those scuff marks slowly vanished and a new shine appeared. As I polished, the process reminded me of how we as people, have the opportunity to polish ourselves. Trav was a gentle, quiet soul. He never looked back on past experiences as obstacles to his future. He overcame obstacles that he faced in his life. When I heard Trav had passed away, I immediately thought of what a wonderful man he had become in such a short time. Trav was a man graced with goodness. Teachers of goodness, teach by example not words. This is what Travis did in his short life. He showed me by example how to be a better person. I will miss him forever and will never let him go. But, every time I look down at my shoes and see those scuff marks of life popping up, I will think of Travis. He will spend some time with me polishing my shoes. Simone