A friend of mine asked me, “if you had to make one choice… boots, leather, or your Harley,” which would it be?

As my website says, I’m a guy into boots, leather, and Harley(s). (I really only have one motorcycle, but that’s beside the point.)

So if I absolutely had to make a choice of one of these avocations, which would it be?

Hmmm… that’s not an easy question to answer.

If I had to narrow the choice to two, you may be surprised to read that I would choose leather as the first thing to go. Not willingly, and not without frustration and even some anger. Why?

I’ve invested so much my leather gear that it would make me upset to not use that investment as I do on an ongoing basis.

Unlike some others who own leather garments like jeans, shirts, vests, and so forth and who wear them only once each year to a gathering of leather dudes at a fashion show, I wear my gear almost every day — around the neighborhood when I escort LOLITS to grocery stores, run errands, and attend meetings. Even while not riding my Harley. Leather is comfortable, stylish, and easy to maintain.

But since most of my leather gear these days is motorcycle-related attire, I could consider alternatives to leather for motorcycling. I bought a high-vis, high-tech jacket a couple years ago and really like it. It is warm, comfortable, versatile, and less heavy than leather.

I still enjoy wearing leather jeans often, and that would be the most difficult to give up. But for purposes of this strictly hypothetical forced-choice, I guess leather would be the first to go.

What’s next? Down to a choice between boots and the Harley? I will continue to play along just for hypothetical fun, though I would never do this in real life.

Making this choice (boots OR Harley) is not as difficult for me to make as regular readers of this blog may think. I say that because one cannot ride a Harley without boots. Well, Darwin Award contenders may wear sneakers (or worse), but sane, safe, and safety-oriented riders like me always wear boots when operating a motorcycle.

So if it had to be “one or the other,” I could not give up boots before giving up my Harley.

Plus, as I age, riding a big, heavy, motorcycle is harder than it used to be. At some point in the future, I may downsize. But for now, I have what I have and enjoy it.

So IF I had to whittle it down to only one choice of three — boots, leather, or Harley — boots would remain as the single choice.

I wear several pairs of boots every day. I do not own any shoes, even sneakers. I would rather be shot than be forced to wear flip-flops or crocs.

Boots rule. That’s it!

Life is short: wear boots (and always when riding a motorcycle) and wear leather more than once a year!