Life Through the Eyes of a Shoe Repairer and Guiness Record Holder
Mario is the only owner of a small and cozy shoe repair shop in Ciudad Colón, right beside Che Pizza. He speaks slowly and unhurriedly. He is friendly, joyful and so welcoming that you feel you have known him for years.Mario has been repairing shoes since the 1990’s and he considers it a natural vocation. “It’s something that you don’t learn, instead it’s something you develop”, he says. After so many years in this profession, Mario believes that the only difficult task is nailing heels. He says it’s complicated and it takes him quite some time because, as he mentioned, “you need to be very meticulous, have a steady hand and a lot of patience”. |
Mario is a father of two children and already has two grandsons. “I have the Guinness record award for being the youngest grandfather when I was 37 years old”, he says with laughter while proudly showing the picture of his first grandson. An old family album brings back memories. Mario describes in detail every moment, each relative or family member and how beautiful his life has been. “I had the poorest childhood, but it was the happiest”, as Mario sums it up himself.Mario is proud to have his own business which gives him the freedom to decide when to close and to call it a day. The shop opens from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. “But I am the owner of my time”, he says and believes that people today will even pay to have more time. During his free time, Mario likes to go for a ride in his bike, play football, go to the mountains or visit his family in Puriscal. More > |