“Momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. Where they goin’. Where they been. I’ve worn lots of shoes…”
As a school teacher, I’ve always had the pleasure of seeing all kinds of styles. It’s one of the best parts of being a teacher actually, getting to see how each of my students express their own styles. I was never a big fan of wearing something just because everyone else was wearing it. I won’t lie, I succumbed to the pressure of trying to fit in when I was a teenager, only to find that if fitting in was determined only by what kind of clothes I owned, well, I was ok not fitting in I guess. Working with clients to find the perfect fashion for their session is also one of my favorite parts of being a photographer. I love getting to see how people express themselves through their clothing, and seeing that translate into their photos is so much fun.
My story can be found in this family portrait.
Growing up on a ranch, boots were a staple in our wardrobe. If we got caught wearing anything but boots around our livestock, we got a lecture about wearing proper attire when working with animals, and even at the age of 31, when I go home to the ranch and help out, I feel a little ashamed if I don’t have boots on. Funny how those things stick in your mind.
Back in 2007, when my friend Mike was killed in Iraq, my sister wrote a beautiful piece of about his boots. She wrote about how a person’s boots tell so much about who they are. She wrote “I will always think of him when I see a good pair of boots, for they are one and the same. Faithful, dependable, worn with bits and pieces of past and present. I find comfort in believing they were with him in the end, and carried him faithfully to our Heavenly Father’s door.” I will never forget the image that her writing created in my mind, and because of that memory, I can’t see a pair of work boots without thinking of Mike and getting teary. There are a lot of memories tied to pairs of boots. Just seeing a pair takes me back to moments I will never forget. I remember my mom’s teal colored boots she got to wear to the Cattleman’s Ball when I was a kid. I remember my Great Grandma Hetty’s dainty pointy toed boots she always wore, the black boots my Grandma MaryBell wore until the day she died and that we had made into a floral arrangement for her funeral. I remember how my dad wore his boots with his cutoff shorts to the river and the first time he bought a pair of “flashy” boots with red tops. I remember my cousin George and his boots that went up to his knees, and someone telling me that “the higher the boots, the more cattle you own”, and how he always tucked his pants in his boots and I didn’t know why. Last, I remember the first time I got my own pair of boots. They were black and had red detailing down the sides of them. I thought they were so cool.
After I went to college, I didn’t wear boots anymore. I didn’t have a need for them, and for many years, they weren’t really part of my style. I was off finding my own way, and I exchanged cowboy boots for running shoes, high heels, and hiking shoes. Then, when I became a teacher and a mom, my closet was filled with dress shoes, running shoes, and flip flops. Finally, last December, as my dad and I went to Fort Robinson to the annual Fort Robinson Christmas Dinner, he and I stopped in Ainsworth at Ranch-Land Western Wear, a shop which has been in operation since 1959 and is owned by his friend Joe McBride and his family. Dad needed a new winter hat, and I had been wanting some new boots. I didn’t know I would buy them that day, but ever since my Grandma died, I had felt a compelling voice urging me to get myself a pair of good boots. She always said there was nothing like a good fitting pair of boots. I felt a little strange buying them though, it had been so long since I had worn a pair. But, with Joe’s help, I tried on several pairs, until I found “THE” pair. They were unique, and definitely NOT like every other pair on the shelf…my dad raised his eyebrows a bit when I said I was going to get them, but once Joe told him about their quality, well, I think he was ok with them. Since then, I’ve worn them every chance I’ve had, and come branding time, I added another pair of “work boots” to my wardrobe.
It’s funny…life that is. I didn’t anticipate marrying a rancher, but I did. He wears boots every day. My sons wear boots as part of their daily “uniform”, and one of my favorite sights is seeing my 4 year old insist on putting them on by himself, albeit on the wrong feet. Going back home to the ranch, the breezeway entry to my parents house is always overflowing with boots that are taken off before going in the house. I felt a little left out before I got my own pair. Now that I have them, they are some of the most comfortable, stylish shoes I’ve ever owned. And even after all this time, when I put them on, I feel like they are part of me. They are the only pair of shoes I’ve ever owned that have made me feel that way. They are part of my identity, and honestly, when I put them on, I feel like I make my family proud.
So, that brings me back to this portrait. It isn’t a new concept. I didn’t come up with the idea. But, because boots play such a pivotal role in our identity, I wanted to make something that reflected that part of our story. I can’t wait to get it up on our wall.
.jpg "Our Family Portrait")