Story behind the brogans

When deciding on a name for this blog, I wanted to settle on something that fit who I am. After careful consideration, I think I picked one reflecting the core of what I'm made of.I'm from Neshoba County. I grew up in the Fork Community, a rural area on the west side of the county. My folks were like most folks from the area, we owned a patch of land and we raised of few cows and grew a big garden each year. It's a front porch type of place where great value is put on a well placed shade tree. Old men there wear Dickie pants, drive pick-up trucks and carry pocket knives. Many of them wear brogan style boots. My grandfather wore brogans. In fact, I only remember him owning three pairs of shoes. He had a black pair of dress shoes for church on Sunday, a pair of rubber boots for working when it was wet and his brogans. He wore his brogans daily. He'd got through a half dozen pairs of laces before the soles would wear out and he'd buy a new pair.I placed my feet in thousands of prints left behind by his brogans. I followed his boot tracks through pastures and fields. My grandfather was as tough as the leather on his brogans. In a sense they symbolized the man who wore them. Strong, durable and practical. The history behind brogans dates back to the Civil War. Southern men wore them to battle. Albeit the style of brogans has changed some since the 1860s, but so has the South. Nevertheless, they were and still are call brogans. There's something comforting about that strength and durability.My father bought me my first pair of brogans. The dark, tanned leather molded to my feet and they made me feel like a man. I'm a brogan type of man. Those who know me best understand they fit who I am. In my closest you'll find everything from wingtips to tennis shoes and you'll most certainly see my brogans. Like my grandfather, I wear them almost daily.I'm on my fourth set of laces on my current pair. They're starting to show some signs of age. Scratches, scuffs and stains have long since embedding themselves. These aren't dress boots, they're boots you can walk a mile in now matter where that mile leads.Now, my daughter puts her little feet in the prints made by my brogans. She's like me a lot of ways. She's comfortable in the outdoors, doesn't mind being dirty and is generally a pretty tough little nut. Most folks are hoping she gets her fashion sense from her mother. Me included. While she may never own a pair of brogans, I do hope she has a little of those brogans in her. Like my grandfather taught me - never forget who you are and where you come from.In 34 years I never have forgotten and me and these brogans have miles to go before we sleep.