The Cobbler

As I was walking home from Thane station the sole of one of my shoes came off. I had noticed that there was something wrong with my shoe just a few moments before, and when I looked down the sole was half off. I thought I could make it home but I was wrong. Within moments, the sole came off entirely. As if by destiny, it came off just as I was passing a cobbler's roadside shack. I plonked myself on the stool outside the  shack and asked him to repair it.
Living in India, isn't always easy, but this is one of the joys. Getting at least small stuff fixed--clothes, shoes, watches, utensils--is very cheap and easy. Damaged items that would have to be binned in England can be fixed quite easily. The other day, I passed another cobbler shop on my way home from work and had my laptop bag fixed. The Indian middle classes are fast moving towards a use-and-bin mentality, but the mend mentality still survives.
However, as with most things in India, there are no simple narratives. While singing paens of the mend economy, it must be acknowledged that wages that people like cobblers earn are barely subsistence wages. For people from my class, the mend economy is an indulgence that makes us feel frugal and fulfilled. Yet, for a large section of the economy, the mend economy is essential.