When I was 7 years old, someone gave my parents a pair of boots to give to one of us kids. Since I was probably the only one whom they'd fit, they were given to me. Unfortunately, they didn't quite fit. So when snow came, I put on double layers of socks and stuffed my snow pant's legs in them. They wouldn't fall off after that. For the most part, I only used them on snowy days. Southern Pennsylvania isn't as bad as North-East Ohio when it comes to winter weather, but they still got their use.
About the time I turned 12, they fit enough that I didn't need anything extra to make them fit, but they were still a bit loose. Then around my mid-to late teenage years, my feet stopped growing and fit the boots perfectly. For 22 years, neither my parents nor myself had to pay for a pair of boots.
If they could talk, they'd have many stories to tell. They stood their ground amidst fierce snowball fights. They were lock in on many snowboard straps and stayed strong as I flew down (and wiped out) hill after hill. They've roundhouse kicked a few snowmen, tromped through heavy mud, muck, creeks, rivers, marched up and down trail after trail, and even kicked more flaming logs than I can count. But it was the last five years that finally did them in.
I got into geocaching in 2015. This hobby requires a lot of walking and hiking. And because I participate in this hobby frequently and find myself in the metro parks a lot, these boots got worked more than they ever had. Twenty-Two years takes a toll. The heel on the right had finally worn a hole. The heel on the left was completely worn off. They had rips and tears, were permanently muddied, and now painful to walk in. So it was time to say goodbye.
Surprisingly, I got many complements by random people over the years on how cool these boots were. I'm a sentimental guy and 22 years with those boots made them feel like a close friend. But the reality is that they were dirty, beaten, and done. Holding onto something like that just isn't necessary. They served their purpose and served it well and their end had come. The garbage man took them away Friday morning. My new pair of Timberlands sits with my other footwear waiting for their first use. It's the first pair of boots I've ever bought. Here's hoping for another 22 years.
