Do Cowboy Boots Make the Man?

For years, we have held, as Americans, a very romantic place in our hearts for the cowboy legend. The idea of donning western wear and cowboy boots and riding off into the sunset (after you've beaten the bad guys and rescued the damsel in distress, of course) is something that most children grow up watching on television or seeing in old movies. The reality of life of those who don western apparel as a matter of necessity has always been, and remains to be, a little different than our imaginations might lead us to believe.

The reality of those living the life, back in the day, or whatever euphemism you'd like to use, was a very difficult one. The women who were out there roughing it were transgressing most of society's norms-- wearing pants, forgoing privacy and proper manners as a matter of necessity. Staying alive was much more important than being proper. For the men, it was much the same. These were not glamorous jobs, although for those who loved them, they were worth every hardship. Riding trails was filthy, dirty work. Literally. Western wear didn't first come about as a fashion statement, after all. These were the only clothes rugged enough to stand up to what these hard working riders and ranchers put them through.

One reason that many hold the western apparel-clad cowboys up to such high esteem is that conquering the west was really the last time we experienced a period of national expansion. Every time there was a western movement, there were a brave few leading the way into uncharted territory. When the west was won and the California coast finally determined the boundaries that even Manifest Destiny could not cross, it was over. That was the extend of the territory that one could explore here in our free country. Suddenly, the freedom that the cowboys had, living outside of real government, was the last place where a man could truly be free.

Of course, today, the wild west having been won and all those territories turned into governed states, things are a little different. There are still plenty of folks out there for whom cowboy boots are a way of life, and maybe that is a good thing. It is a lifestyle that serves to remind us that hard work isn't just a thing of the past, that mechanization cannot take over all aspects of life, and that if you keep the dream alive, it just might outlive you.

Written by Mel Bryson. Brand name cowboy boots and western wear at The Boot Store online store for western apparel. Ariat boots, Justin boots more at western-wear-store.com

Article Source: http://www.thearticleinsiders.com