Just an old pair of boots.......

About three weeks ago, I was at work and it just so happened that I wore my Old Boots that day. I normally wear my tennis shoes because of having to be on my feet for 12 hours, it's just more comfortable; however, on this day, I wore my boots. A co-worker noticed them and said to me, "I think it's about time to retire those Old Boots." The statement resulted in a modest chuckle from both of us, and I replied, "I suppose they have seen their better days."

This morning I got up a little later than normal, around 6:30 AM. I went down stairs and it was pretty cool down there. We have tile floors and the ceramic, well.... it was more than just a little cool, it was freezing. I hurriedly grabbed my Old Boots and made my way over to "my chair" where I took my place and, one at a time, I placed a sock on each foot. As I picked up my first boot, I saw, for the first time, just how worn they really were. I realized that though my co-worker was the first to have said something about my boots, many before him must have noticed them. I am sure that he won't be the last to say something, if I don't replace them soon. I thought, man, I have several other pair of shoes and boots, I wonder why I don't wear one of those pair instead? I looked at them closely, I mean that literally. I picked them up and brought them close to my face and looked at the paint, the scuffs and scratches, the horse manure on the bottom and the sides and the oil soaked spots. My mind began to drift back to an earlier day.

I bought these boots when we lived in Austin before we bought our home here in the country. My boys were much younger then and because we lived in the city and in a house that we didn't own, they didn't get many opportunities to do a lot of the things that I believe every boy should know a little about. It wouldn't hurt the girls to pick up some basic knowledge and skills too. Just as it would serve the boys well to know how to peel a potato and soap up a pair of jeans and a shirt. Another topic entirely! Anyway, we soon moved out to where we now live and we began to do some things together that I have and will cherish until my dying day.

As I closely observed my boots and looked at the paint on them, I remembered the large building out back that my boys and I built. A building that came out pretty well and will stand sturdy for years to come. The oil on my Old Boots reminded me of the work that we have done together on our vehicles, changing the brakes and replacing hoses, belts and batteries, dropping the gas tank and replacing fuel lines, electric components and brake callipers. My youngest son changed out the alternator on our truck by himself, here about a year ago. He was proud, but not near as proud as I was of him for doing it. I looked at all of the scuffs and cuts on my Old Boots and reviewed in my mind the fences we've built, the water lines and electric lines we've laid and all of the trees that we have cut down, the shrubs we have pulled up and replanted, the ground that we have tilled up and then placed new seed into the broken earth. I thought of the barn we built and the sunburn I got while we did it. I considered all of the small things we have built together in our shop. I thought of how they have learned to use the various tools that we have and how they have learned to improvise when we didn't exactly have the "right" tool for the job. I looked at the manure on the bottom of my boots and pondered the first time I watched my young son ride this huge 1200 lbs. Christmas gift they had received from their Granny and Poppa. I have seen him ride through the years and I realize just how comfortable he now is in doing that. (Thanks Granny Helton for the gift. It was just what Seth needed while discovering himself.)

The old boots reminded me of a poem my oldest son recited in kindergarten, "I want to wear my father's shoes." I am proud of the fact that this is the one pair of shoes my sons and I wore together!

Yeah they are worn, but they are worn with love and wonderful memories! I suppose I will retire them soon, but it will be with great reluctance and somewhat of a sorrowful heart, when I set them aside.

I am excited though! I know with a new pair of boots there is an arena to be built and we are planning on fencing our entire property with wood rail fencing. I can't wait! The new memories we will build with a new pair of boots.