There are still places where you can get a shoe shine and a little southern charm for $1. One of those places can be found in Coupland, Texas. I was at the Coupland Dancehall and Inn photographing on assignment for an Austin magazine when I met Ted.

Ted is a shoe shine who started at the age of 10 and has been doing it now for 52 years. He kept me company while I was hanging around the hall shooting pictures and told me about his routine. "I'm here Friday and Saturday of every week. Takes me 'bout an hour to get here from Cameron. Sometimes on Tuesday and Thursday I'll hang out by the road with my $1 shoe shine sign. You'll get a few folks stoppin' in, but people just don't wear many leather shoes anymore. It's sneakers nowadays I guess."

When business began to dry up in Cameron, he did what any smart businessperson does. He stopped hanging around Cameron and traveled where there were customers. He traveled to a place where cowboy boots and leather soled shoes are the norm. It was a good decision for him. He's gotten so popular that the dance hall regulars who are active servicemen and women bring their military boots in for an old fashioned shine, the Ted way.

Nowadays its hard to find anyone who'll spend 5 minutes doing anything for a dollar, but for just that you'll get a mirror gloss and a switchblade smile from Ted the shoe shine. If you're ever 35 miles northeast of Austin and happen upon Coupland, Texas drop in and pay Ted a visit. Grab a beer at the bar while you're at it. You'll be glad you did.