Happy Early 50th BDay To Me!

In 1989 I visited Washington DC almost every weekend. 

One day while I was perusing K Street in GTown with a friend, we happened upon a small record store that also sold some very cool threads. A lot of British fashion stuff, which we were into back then. We were Goths, you know....! 

So I tried on a pair of Doc Martens that I had never seen before. They were actually more feminine looking than the clunky original yellow-thread 8-hole boots. This pair had a more squared toe and was narrower through the foot. I LOVED THEM!! So I paid the $70.00 price of the time and wore them in with TREMENDOUS pride! MY FIRST DOCS! 

After a while no one could separate my Docs and me. We had melded. They were an extension of the flesh on my feet. They were spilled-on, moshed-on, stepped-on, puked-on, and even used to kick a rude girl in the bathroom at the Bank in Philly once...(I was drunk. I don't remember the details, ok?!?) 

Those Docs of mine lived through YEARS of everything with me. 

Until one day, years later, as I was packing to move out of a mold-infested house that I had lived in for 8 years (and now terribly sick from it), I saw it ... 
...My Docs had been infested with HUGE amounts of MOLD. the same mold that was causing my illness. I was devastated. To me, at the time, there was no cleaning this mold away and feeling "OK" about wearing the boots again. I had to throw my beloved Docs away, and my heart was broken.

Anyone who loves their Docs will understand that this is like a death of a beloved friend. 
For years, I couldn't even consider replacing my Docs. Then for even more years, when I DID start to consider it, I couldn't afford to even consider replacing my Docs. I was saddened. 

Last year when I turned 49, I decided to make a "Big 50 Bucket List" of things I want to do during this year, before I turn 50. On that list was that I wanted to save enough money to buy myself a new pair (a perfectly fitting pair) of Docs again. And so I did. :) I ordered them online, and they are as close to my original pair as I can find, and ...AND... they even have ribbon shoe laces. (A benefit of the times, I suppose, and I love that). 

And so, here are my new Docs. May they be moshed-on at least one more time before my days end, and PLEASE make sure I'm buried in them at that time, because THESE aren't leaving me. Thanks. :)