I fondly remember seeing my grandfather having his
afternoon coffee at his restaurant when I was a young boy. He would always be dressed
in his crisp white Guayabera, jet
black slacks ironed out to perfection, elegant dress shoes with enough of a
shine you could see your smile reflected on them. His straw fedora would be placed
on the table next to a recently brewed espresso, a thin trail of smoke rising
from his Cohiba, as he listened to
the local horse races on his little portable radio. Anyone who walked by his
establishment would stop in and pay their respect. Don Roberto was the kind of
man who emanated respect. Once I asked him why so many people would stop what
they were doing just to say hello to him. He gave me a smile and gave me an
answer that seemed so simple at the time, “You want people to respect you? You
start by looking respectable.” That
afternoon he bought me my first dress shirt.
-Being Caballero-
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