Wednesday, January 6, 2016

IT'S NOT A FETISH




Never, in my wildest dreams, have I considered doing a blog post about boots - but there's a first time for everything.

Yesterday, after I posted my boots and potato story, I was horrified at the photo of my dirty, battered, worn-out boot (a taunting reflection of my disintegrating self). My disgust and humiliation were so profound, that I decided to offer some more appealing photos of boots that I've owned.

I've never exactly had a boot fetish, but it seems that I've been wearing them most of my life:
as a half-pint California imitation of a cowboy when I was a kid,

as a intriguing facsimile of a midnight cowboy when I haunted the streets of Hollywood,

as a faux cowboy (that's what I called myself) when I lived on the dusty, desolate plains of West Texas,

and now - as a hermit mountain man in the Tennessee wilderness.


Age 6 or 7, somewhere in Arizona

Boots are comfortable, durable (most of the time), practical, and project a false but satisfying sense of power.

When I was a kid, I hated being tall. Later, I began to appreciate the advantages of height. I'm 6'1" in my bare feet. Boots added another two inches to my height, at least.

During my tough, kick-ass Hollywood days (not that I was ever really tough or kick-ass), I often kept a switch blade stashed down the side of my right boot.
I actually used it once to slash the hand of some punk who tried to mug me.
I wrote about that incident in a previous blog post - - some day I'll tell the story again.

Nowadays my boots only serve as foot-protection from the elements of the wilderness. But they always harbor fond memories.....


Some photo documentation of my boots:
(the first photo, at the beginning of this post, was my favorite pair of boots when I lived in Texas).



Another pair of my Texas boots.
Some people have called me a redneck racist for owning a Confederate flag. Tough crap on them.

My snow-covered boots & hat

By the hearth in Texas

Me and my boots, relaxing
(photo taken in Texas)

 SIESTA

20 comments:

  1. Cowboy boots are great. I wore cowboy boots in my motorcycling years. They were durable and comfortable. But when I went outdoors to make a living, I found them awkward for climbing trees. Now my whole body is non-arboreal and I trim trees from the ground until they are gone. Sometimes fashion adjustments are just unavoidable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cowboy boots have absolutely no traction - which I found out on many painful (not to mention embarrassing) occasions. I recall falling on my ass on a slippery Dairy Queen floor in front of fifty astonished diners.
      I've never tried tree-climbing in boots. Thank God.

      Delete
  2. So what your saying is these boots are made for walking?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cowboy boots are perfect for street-walking - - and I have a helluva lot of Hollywood street stories to tell....

      Delete
  3. Don't hate me, Jon ... but I actually prefer the sight of your aged boots in your previous post. As I recall from my tenure in Abilene, THAT was the sign of a 'real' s***-kicker cowboy. Now, I'm not anxious to part with the dollars and cents, but hope to buy a pair of my own someday ... someone said they're absurdly comfortable.

    Lovin' the photo of you in Arizona!


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somehow, I lost my reply to your comment. I'll try again:

      I get extremely depressed when I see a beautiful (not to mention expensive) pair of boots get ravaged from wear and tear...and mud. But, that's what they're made for.

      The Arizona photo was taken either in Flagstaff or Winslow......so long ago, that Arizona probably wasn't yet a state.....

      Delete
  4. Santa brought me a pair for Christmas. I've had a couple of pairs in the past, so I was ready to try them again. Hope the rest of your week goes well. Sheila

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really wish Santa would have brought me a new pair of boots. I guess he knew I hadn't been good.....

      Delete
    2. Well you have another year to practice being good ;) But thankfully my boot sole does have some traction, though I doubt I'd wear them out in the snow and ice, yet anyway. But no sole is foolproof in slick weather. I have fell on a gym floor in sneakers that gripped the ground just a little too much...wore a wrist cast for 4 weeks...nothing broken, just ligaments and such. Oh, and as for Conway, not everyone is a fan, but he grew on me when I was young. He also died on my Hubby's birthday, Rick wasn't a fan either. Take care, Sheila

      Delete
  5. Lots of boots here in south Texas. I like 'em.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I lived in San Angelo, a lot of the cowboys wore spurs that jingled. I really liked the effect.

      Delete
  6. Well you'd certainly be unique here in the UK John. I suspect that there are people here who wear them (probably more likely in London), Americans and lovers of Americana. But I've never actually seen someone wearing a pair of cowboy boots in this country. I quite like the look of them and can see them as practical. I like your creative shot of the boots and hat in the snow. Very artistic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, but the Beatles wore a modern variation of the 'Chelsea' boot!

      Not as ruff-n-tuff as cowboy boots, likely.

      :-)

      -Andy

      Delete
    2. Andy, I had completely forgotten about Chelsea boots. They're definitely not as rugged (or macho) as cowboy boots.

      Delete
    3. Craig, it's rather disappointing to hear that cowboy boots are so sparse in your neck of the woods - but I suppose there's no practical reason for anyone to wear them - except for "effect".

      The boots in the snow photo was taken in Texas and it's one of my favorite pics.

      Delete
  7. Other than a couple pair of go-go boots, and a sexy-looking pair of high-heeled black motorcycle-like boots, I only had one pair of boots that were close to being cowboy boots. I desperately wanted a pair... along with a cowgirl outfit and belted holster with capguns... when I was a young girl, but never got them. (I DID get a capgun, though, which I absolutely loved.) The cowboy-like boots I got as a teenager were beautiful, and quite comfortable. They were great to wear while horseback riding, and I used saddle soap on them frequently to keep the leather soft and supple. Funny, but the more worn the boots became got, the more I liked them.

    Even so, I'm more of a moccasins kinda gal. I'm wearing red ones right now...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I sorta feel naked when I'm not wearing boots. I remember when go-go boots were popular. Once, long ago, I saw Nancy Sinatra in Beverly Hills and she was wearing go-go boots.
      I loved cap guns and I had several of them.

      Delete
  8. That photo of the indian is bloody scary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was a very timid child - scared of my own shadow. I'm very surprised that I wasn't afraid of the Indian.

      Delete
  9. Jon,
    I used to have several pair of really cool cowboy boots that I wore during my bar hopping days. That with my cowboy hat (the white one) always got lots of attention. However, those days are long gone and along with them I turned the boots into a local thrift store. Hopefully they got a second life. They were good boots. Made me feel special when I wore them. I hear Marco Rubio is also fond of boots (see "Bootgate").
    Ron

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. Go ahead and leave one - I won't bite. But make sure you have a rabies shot just in case.