These Shoes Were Made For Walking...And Hiking And Mudding And Shoveling

 After the last time shoveling snow, I took off my old boots and one of my socks was wet. I didn't think much of it...we had been in the snow for about four hours. It wasn't until I picked up my boots after they'd dried out that I noticed the sole was separating from the top of the boot.

If you look closely, you can see the separation. If you look at the other boot, you can see where I used shoe glue to join the two sections when the same thing happened earlier. We decided it was time to get a new pair of boots, and so we did.

Once we got home, I picked up the old pair and set them on the garbage can. I felt I should take a picture, you know, to preserve the moment. After that, I tossed them in the garbage.

Looking at the picture, it made me think. The leather on the boots were still good, so was the tread. Yet, I was throwing away something that still had some use. I still have half the shoe glue I originally used on the shoes. They can still be fixed.

Then, looking at the boots, it reminded me of my parents.

Strange, I know.

Both my parents lived through the Great Depression, my father was five in 1929, my mother born a few years after it started. I didn't talk to them about their experiences when I had the chance--I don't know if they really wanted to talk about the things they went through. I've heard some stories and I know that more are documented in books and online. From what I know about my parents, I'll bet they'd keep those boots and patch them with the glue. The boots would have miles more that could be put on them...thousands and thousands of steps to walk.

After I thought about it, I dug the boots out of the trash and put them in a garage cabinet. I've never lived through a depression, at least not any as big as the one my parents experienced. The way things are going, either I or someone else may need those boots because new ones won't be available. I guess we'll find out.