Eric Wellington sighed, closed his briefcase, locked his office and stepped out into the hall outside his office building. It had been a long and demanding day and his nerves were taut. Eric was Vice President of Finance at 36 and the requirements of the job left him drained and tense. He walked to the elevator and stood waiting when a cheerful hello broke the late night silence. Eric looked around and saw the heavy set figure of Jack, the janitor who was in charge of the building at night.



Jack's round red face was lit up with a wide smile. He wore dirty overalls and mud encrusted boots, and in one hand he held on to a mop, but his face was wreathed with a confident smile while Eric in his expensive business suit and tie looked at him with a frown. Eric looked him up and down, and blurted out:


"Why are you so happy?"


Jack's smile grew wider. "Aren't you happy, sir?" he said.


Eric didn't respond, but got on the elevator and murmured a quick goodnight.


A week later, Eric again worked late, and again encountered a beaming Jack, singing casually to himself as he scrubbed the floor on his knees. He stopped and looked up as he saw Eric's polished business shoes pass him.

Again he greeted the executive with a loud hello. The insistent good cheer grated on Eric's nerves.

He barely responded at first, but again said: "WHAT MAKES YOU SO CHEERFUL?! You probably make about five percent of what I do. You work all night. You have to clean up other people's dirt. But you are ALWAYS smiling! And I am so stressed I can hardly get through the day! What is your secret?!"


"Do you really want to know, sir?" Jack said.



"YES!"



"Well, maybe I'll tell you one of these days" said Jack, winking and laughing. "Right now, you have to get your elevator!"



"Please!" said Eric.



"Alright" said Jack with a grin. "I'll let you in on it, but you have to do something first!"



"What is it?" asked Eric in surprise.



Jack pointed at the men's room door.



"I have to clean those toilets tonight. I want you to clean them instead. And you have to wear that fancy business suit and tie while you're doing it. But you have to take off your shoes and socks and work in your bare feet."


Eric turned beet red and then white with anger and disgust.



"That is NOT funny" he snapped.



But Jack looked at him with a serious intent gaze: "I am serious, sir. I am not laughing at you. No one else will know but me."



"But that is an outrage! Absolutely ridiculous!" snapped Eric. "Look at me.and look at YOU!"



Jack just shook his head.



"The offer is always open, sir!"



Eric shook his head angrily and pressed the down button on the elevator.



But the following Thursday, Eric asked Jack again and received the same answer; for several weeks, they went through the same routine, and each time Eric hoped that Jack would tell him his secret without the strange requirement. And each time Jack said that someday he would tell Eric his secret when he fulfilled the request.



"But my dignity!" said Eric. "You can't expect me to do this!"



Finally, Eric had a night of such stress that he felt like exploding with anger. A multi-million dollar deal had collapsed. In the hall, Jack sang to himself. Eric decided he had to know. He HAD to. He heard Jack walk outside his office and stepped outside.



"Please tell me your secret, Jack. I really want to know" said a flustered Eric. "I.I'm ready to do as you ask."

Jack looked at the impeccably dressed and dignified executive in his $2,500 navy blue tailored pinstriped suit, carefully knotted red silk tie and matching pocket handkerchief, starched white shirt, silver cufflinks, $1,000 briefcase and hundred dollar haircut and his eyes rested on the $800 black dress shoes polished like mirrors.



"Fine! Take off those shiny shoes and the socks, too" he said with a grin.



"Shoes AND socks?" said Eric.



Eric sighed, leaned over and untied his gleaming black leather dress shoes. Slowly he pulled out his right foot. For a moment, he rested his foot on the back of the expensive shoe, then pulled it all the way off. Then he followed with the other shoe. For a moment, he stared at the outline of his toes through the thin black Brooks Brothers business socks. Then he pulled off his socks as well.



His face turned red with embarrassment as he stood barefoot, but Jack picked up the well-shined shoes and stuffed the socks inside them.



"Well, for once you won't need these for your job!" said Jack cheerfully. "No client to impress!"



Jack then led Eric into the bathroom where a mop and a bucket and a scrub brush sat on the floor.



"But why do I have to keep my suit and tie on?" said Eric. "This is ridiculous!"



Jack said nothing and handed the mop to Eric, who took it and awkwardly put it in the water. Jack showed him how to wring it out and in a moment, Eric Wellington, VP of finance, graduate of a fine prep school and an Ivy League college, was mopping the floor of the men's room - barefoot in his pinstriped suit, his silk necktie carefully knotted, his cufflinks gleaming.



Jack watched him carefully, making sure everything was clean. Then he showed Eric how to scrub the toilets. Eric asked him if he might take off his necktie, but Jack was adamant.



Eric got down on his knees and began to scrub. Sweat poured off him as he made sure every spot on the white porcelain had been removed. He felt the tension and the stress leave his shoulders as he worked.



Jack stood by, watching the corporate executive as sweat streamed down his carefully shaven face and on to the collar of his starched shirt.



Finally, Eric finished and stood up looking at his work with satisfaction.



"Fine job!" said Jack with approval.



"Well?" said Eric. But the urgency of his tone had vanished. A space inside him was opening up that was calm and still. He had never experienced that before - or at least not as an adult. He didn't know what to make of it, but involuntarily relaxed into it.



"Now you know!" said Jack with a grin that split his face. "You're contented, aren't you?"



Eric stared at him, bewildered. Then the realization came.



"Yes.yes, but.you mean."



Jack continued: "I used to be an executive just like you. You didn't know that, did you? I lost my job during the recession and couldn't find another. I was just as arrogant as you, just as concerned with appearances. I always wore my fancy suit and tie and had my shoes shined. Then I had to take this job, and I had to lose it all, let it all go. And I found out that it didn't matter at all. Now I'm not saying YOU should do that. But you had to go through part of the same thing to understand why I'm happy!"



Eric's muscles relaxed fully. Bu then he tensed again: "But.but why did you force me to wear my suit and tie? And why did you take away my shoes and socks? Why?"



"Because you had to be humbled. You had to be dragged off your high horse, and taking these off you helped!" said Jack with a grin, holding up the shoes and socks. "I made you keep that fancy suit on and your necktie for the same reason. An executive who is barefoot in a business suit no longer looks or feels as dignified or as powerful. You needed to understand that! To be set free!"



Eric nodded and felt a strange sense of relief and calm.



"And don't worry - I'm the only one who knows - believe me, I will never pass the secret on  You can go back to your job now, but you won't be as tightly wound" said Jack with a slightly sad look. "Here."



He handed the shoes to Eric, but the executive shook his head.



"You keep those as a souvenir!" he said with a relaxed smile. "Just give me something to wear home."



Jack laughed and handed Eric a pair of old sneakers: "Those won't look too good with your suit!"



 Eric smiled, and added: "If you ever want another job - a better one - let me know.



Jack shook his head: "There IS no better one - at least for me..."



Eric nodded, put the old sneakers on and left.



Jack stuffed the socks into the executive shoes, and for a moment remembered the days when he too had worn a suit and had a corner office. Then he shook his head, smiled and picked up his mop.