Around my neighborhood, things are pretty loose. Walking the old dog requires spending a significant amount of the day standing in slop and mud or one of the casually deposited spoor samples around here–horse, free-range mini-goat, or (ahem) dog. I have learned how to step into a pair of boots and go. I don’t tie them much although I am sure that when it comes time for an extended expedition to somewhere or a formal affair, I will make the effort to tie them and pull the pants cuff over the boot just like they do in the big city.
Until those special moments come up, I can count on the inherent stickiness of the boot to stay on my foot and the relative height to exceed the height of the snow and/or squalor that oozes outside.
So when I had a quick errand to run the other day I waited to go until I had to take out Sidney (the old dog). Then I grabbed the papers I needed and drove off, thinking that this was going to be an unremarkable half hour trip to the mail drop where I can send a fax. It probably matters some towards understanding my state of mind to know that I was faxing documents for the insurance claim on my recently murdered laptop, or actually my second murdered laptop in two months. The weapon in both instances was a half cup of coffee. I now type this on a desktop. The coffee cannot be avoided but the implications of a spill on the keyboard can.
So, I drive to the fax center and when I go to open the door, a woman allows me to hold the door for her as she walks out. As she passes, she says “Your boots are untied.”
I respond lamely with “I know.” and a little laugh. I go in and complete my faxing business without finding it necessary to tie my boots. But I am left wondering what possessed her to say that. This part of the country is not only a wintery mess but most people are pretty casual about their dress. I figure she either acted out of an involuntary need to be a Mom, even to one as grown-up as I seem to be, or she repeats this all day long and it slipped out without a thought. What worried me was how needy I might look. I have attached a photo for you, gentle reader, to make up your own mind.
This got me thinking about the nature of comments I make on the blogs and journals of others. I have to admit that a fair number of them qualify as “Your boots are untied.” I also like to offer random ideas that come to mind, something known to many as “thread-jacking”. I also find myself sharing witty (to me) anecdotes that probably don’t advance the comment string in any meaningful way.
This is as far as I have gotten with this introspection. For my sins–past, present and future–I apologize. I don’t plan on starting to tie my boots and neither should you.
Powered by ScribeFire.
my first picture linking adventure. I now need a drink. sigh. I think there are extra things floating around the photo but…oh well.
Have your drink, my friend.
I was just thinking the other day about Sidney and wondering how he was faring.
I once lived in a part of Canada where boots were the norm most of the year. I avoided the laces by having a really ugly pair of green, gum-rubber barn boots. I wore them every where, formal occasions aside.
I never say, You’re boots are untied, I believe it is some people’s way of bucking the social norm.
The fashion in kids footwear these days is Velcro instead of laces. Still, I suspect you’re right about the Mom theory. If you’ve ever spent an evening in a hospital waiting for your kid to have their chin sewn back up after they wiped out on their bike when their shoe laces got got in the gears, you might become a bit fanatical about mentioning the tying of shoe laces.
My boots have those hook thingies for lacing them up all the way to the top. For short trips, either tie them at the bottom or just stuff the laces in the top. So, I do think I hear what you’re saying.
You are without sin, my child.
Howdy. I just spotted a comment of yours on LFC’s blog and the link had an @ instead of a dot between goodfoot08 and wordpress.com thus making the link not properly clickable.
I think you can fix that under “your profile”.
I don’t bother wearing shoes unless I have to get into a restaurant or grocery store.
Many thanks amoeboid. I will fix that.
It could have been worse- your fly could have been open as well.