Work Boots

Andrea's parents brought a thoughtful keepsake the last time they were down. It's a hand carved wooden boot that doubles as a picture frame. And, of course they put a picture of grandpa Burgess in it. But the most appropriate thing about it is that it's a work boot. It's not a fancy, dressy dude ranch (or yuppy country music fan) type of boot. As I sit here in my office and look at it I think of all the times grandpa used to have me pull off his boots after a long day on the ranch. They'd always be scraped off and cleaned off at the end of the day but with the dust and wear of life still very evident.
In my recollection, one of the most visual representations of his life were his tools, his horses, his equipment and even his clothing. All were picked carefully for quality, function, and durability. Status and "show" weren't a consideration. My earliest memories are of him teaching me how to care for things, how to organize them, and how to get the most out of them when working. I can't say that I've kept those lessons as well as I should but they come back to me more and more as time goes on.