A THOUSAND MILES
They’ve been around the world, these boots of mine. They’ve been though rain and snow and sunny days. They’ve been with me on journeys both near and far. I have run and walked and splashed and danced and climbed in these boots, and they are showing the signs of a life well lived.
There is a certain joy to be found in a familiar pair of footwear. These boots have a way of hugging every contour of my foot in a way that is instantly comforting. I’m not going to tell you that they are like pillows of air that make each step a pleasure. They are quite the opposite in fact.
These boots have sharp points that tend to dig in uncomfortably. Their leather is old and cracked. The soles have been worn smooth, providing nary an ounce of traction, and there are holes in both heels that squirt water through to my feet on soggy days.
Like a true friend though, these boots are made of memories and the times we have shared make it hard to put them aside. I have walked through airports, streets and villages in Cuba, Mexico, England, Canada and more in these boots, their smooth bottoms sliding across endless concourses of discovery.
They say you should try walking a thousand miles in another man’s shoes to truly understand his nature. You would enjoy the journey of these boots. They have been ankle deep in icy October water while I removed the dock at the cottage and still have the rust streaks to prove it. They have sunk in the tidal sands of the Bristol Channel. They have slid down miles of winter road, perilously hurtling me towards my destination. They have been wedged in the nooks of trees as I sought ever-higher perches to scale.
My boots have taken me through cities and wilderness alike, driving me ever forward towards destinations unknown. They have been re-laced three times, and have outlasted countless insoles both gelled and un-gelled.
These boots are an extension of me, and one day they will finally collapse under the weight of their own history. That is a day I do not long to experience.
Saying goodbye is never easy. Parting ways with a friend who has been so integral to so many life-defining moments is a sorrow unlike any other. I hope to prolong that inevitable moment for as long as possible. I have easily walked a thousand miles in these boots, and I look forward to walking a thousand more.
History happens. A good pair of boots will tell you as much. They were never perfect, but they were mine and the adventures we have shared will live on long after we have both moved on.
My boots have taken me to places I could never have imagined, and at the end of every adventure, they have taken me home. What have yours done for you?
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