I think I started something…. My Great Nephew, about whom I blogged when I went boot shopping with him to select boots to wear to school this year, has a group of his friends who have followed his lead — they’re all sportin’ boots in school.

This trend started rather slowly, but here is the story…

GN’s best buddy, G, asked GN where he got his boots. G told GN that he saw several girls looking at GN in his boots.

GN thought it was interesting that his male friends were more interested in boots than they once were. They stopped making comments about GN being a misplaced cowboy, or a biker without an iron horse.

A few weeks ago, GN asked to borrow a pair of shiny black dress cowboy boots from me, which he wore with a suit to his high school Homecoming dance. He said he had a great time dancing with many different girls. He said that he danced with more girls this year than last year, when he wore a suit and regular shoes. He wondered aloud to me, “I think the boots had something to do with it.” Unfortunately he found that my boots were too big for him, despite wearing two pairs of socks, so he put a pair of goatskin Lucchese classics on his wish list for Christmas.

GN’s friends seemed to decide after watching how comfortable GN was in boots at the Homecoming dance that they all wanted to get boots. I think, though his friends didn’t say, that they thought perhaps a guy wearing boots might have better chances with women? At least GN thinks so.

Each of his friends found ways to buy boots of their own choosing.

Last week, GN asked me to pick him up after school on my Harley to take him home. It was a cool but stunningly sunny day for a ride. I was happy to honor his request. When I arrived, I wound my way around the parking lot to the designated place where my GN was waiting. I was amused in a nice way to see six of his buddies standing with him, all wearing boots — both cowboy boots of various colors and motorcycle boots. GN was wearing his black Chippewa harness boots with a pair of jeans, but a jacket that was too light for the anticipated wind chill whilst rollin’ along on the Harley.

His friends looked at me in my Langlitz jacket, leather jeans, and lug-soled Wesco boots and kinda drooled (though they wouldn’t admit it) when I handed my GN a leather cop jacket to wear. They were in awe or perhaps even had some mild jealousy when GN placed his backpack in my Harley’s TourPak, took out the extra helmet and put it on, and confidently took a seat behind me for our ride home. Of course, I had to give a little bit more throttle on the way out so the Harley’s distinctive sound could be heard as we took off.

I asked GN, “when did your friends decide to wear boots?” That is when GN told me what I wrote above. So hmmmm… the ol’ always-booted gay uncle BHD on his Geezerglide started a new high school trend. Who woulda thunk that at my age I could do that? LOL!

Life is short: wear boots to school (and of course, when you are riding a motorcycle!)