Advice from a Doorman

No one has to know

“Thank you as always, Nathaniel, and have a wonderful evening,” Mr. Priggett from apartment 809 said.

If the doorman at Huston House had heard it once every evening, he heard it a hundred times. It was all part of the job of opening doors, helping with packages, and occasionally escorting the inebriated to their condos.

The job paid well and Huston House was extra gracious during the holidays. Nathaniel had been doing it for 12 years and he was contented with it as a career. Of course when he wasn’t doing doorman duties, he could watch a small portable TV inside his podium but couldn’t get too attached to the programming because he was constantly being interrupted.

Jason from 1202 stopped at Nathaniel’s podium one evening and leaned his wrists against it.

“Nathaniel, I’ve got a problem and I think you’re the only man in the world I know personally to help me with it.”

“Wow, no pressure here! I’ll help if I can, Jason. What’s up?” Nathaniel asked as he snapped off the TV set.

“How do I say this? Nathaniel, I’d like to dress for success. I don’t know how to do that. But you see people all day long coming in and out, fancy clothes, casual, formal, informal, dressed up, dressed down, what have you…”

“I’m listening,” Nathaniel said.

“You know those who are successful and those trying to fake it.”

Nathaniel nodded and said, “More or less, yes.”

“Me, I can look at someone dressed nicely and think, ‘He’s arrived,” so to speak.  You, on the other hand, can tell, can’t you?”

“Yes sir, I can,” Nathaniel said.

“What’s the secret, Nathaniel? What makes the man? I know it’s a broad question and all but…

“I’ve actually considered that, Jason, and I think I know. You’re probably not going to like this, but it’s the shoes.”

“The shoes,” Jason said not as a question but something to ponder.

“Yes, the shoes. The suits and silk ties are nice and often quite expensive –  more than I could ever afford – but I can tell a person’s status by the shoes. How he wears them, what he wears them with, how shiny they are, and even how much they’ve spent on them.”

Jason said, “Just by their shoes?”

“Buy the nice suits, yes, and even fancy watches and jewelry, but spend more time and money picking out your shoes – casual, formal, business. They will seal the deal for you, Jason. Guarantee it.”

Before Nathaniel could finish Jason was headed toward the entrance. Nathaniel didn’t buzz people in often, preferring to physically open the door for them, but this time he reached down and buzzed Jason in.

As he walked away, Jason looked back and offered a mild wave of thanks before tapping the Up elevator button.

With the TV off and minimal resident foot traffic to worry about, Nathaniel pulled out a book he had been reading through: Dressing For Success in a Casual World.

His experience as a doorman confirmed what he was reading and what he told the man from Apartment 1202. Hopefully he could get beyond Chapter One before Jason asked more questions.