Boot Hill

 

Boot Hill

Noel Laflin

1-8-23

 

The entire bottom gripping section came off the left foot of an old pair of boots today. I was forced to stop, and upon investigation saw that the right boot's bottom was about to peel away, too 

 

Crazy Glue (or something stronger) might do the fixing trick, but I am inclined to just get a new pair, as these are pretty old. I am just glad I was walking back home from across the street, and not stuck in a muddy bog deep down in a steep ravine somewhere when the uncoupling occurred.

 

I had a friend at summer camp who would bury his stinky boots at the end of each season. I thought it wasteful, until I shared a small cabin with him one summer and understood why he took such drastic measures. His having to leave his boots outside each night was absolutely necessary, and clued me in as to the sweating, sweet stink, and eventual burying ritual. He said it was due to his diabetes, and I believe he had a valid point.

 

We thought of planting an oak or fir seedling above each discarded pair of boots, so as to mark each grave property, but figured any seedling with any sense would up an move half a mile away once our backs were turned.

 

Consequently, there are six or seven unmarked graves up on our old mountain hiding perils with a half-life unmeasured -  a lost Boot Hill, if you will.

 

My boots don't smell to such a degree, fortunately; they’re just old and broken. I am going to miss them, but not anywhere near how much I miss my friend, despite his stinky footwear, from half a century ago. But as he was always a fan of my feeble tales, I bet he would have smiled with the telling of this one; he rests upon that very mountain, too, now. But the old boots he buried there are at least half a mile away.

 

Now, time to make plans for a proper burial - or maybe just the recycle bin instead, and a quick prayer of thanks for boots that were definitely made for walking, until, very much like my old friend from so long ago,  they just grew too tuckered out for walking and called it quits one day.