The "Twin Thing" in Boots

I have commented fairly often that my twin brother and I share an indescribable bond. We know what the other is thinking, what he likes, what he dislikes, what he will say before he says it. It's eerie sometimes -- not to us, but to those who love us, who observe us speaking in shorthand and finishing each other's sentences. I'm not saying it's 100%, but it's darn close!

We are not identical twins. We are physically and emotionally different men. But rather than tick off a comparison of our similarities and differences, let me share a funny thing that this "twin thing" did with boots.

I blogged on August 7 that my brother bought me a very good-looking, classy, and comfortable pair of black Lucchese Classic Goatskin cowboy boots. I wore them with a suit to his retirement reception, and plan to wear them when dressing up is required (which for me, fortunately, is not often.)

What I did not describe is that the day before he gave me these boots as a gift, I had ordered an identical pair in dark brown. I was looking at them in black, but my size wasn't available and would have been back-ordered until November. The dark brown version were immediately available -- one pair left in my size, at a really good price considering the quality of these hand-made, American-made beauties.

I ordered the brown version and they arrived a week ago. (More photos of them here). Again: identical in almost every respect except for the color and the toe style. My brother got me boots with a pointed toe (which I prefer) and my brown boots came with a narrow-rounded toe.

Okay, so I knew the boots that I ordered were in process when my brother gave me his gift. I thought that I didn't need to spend the money since I had received the same style of boots already. I went on-line and tried to cancel the order, but it was too late. The boots had been shipped. Yeah, I could have gone through the process of a return, but decided not to do that. I will wear these boots on dressy occasions, too. Heck, I will wear both pairs during winter months when I cannot ride my Harley to work and have to commute in my truck. (I will not wear boots with smooth leather soles when I ride my motorcycle, as smooth soles provide no traction.)

I assure you, my brother and I did not talk about this particular brand or style of boots before each of us ordered them separately. My brother arranged for his order to be shipped to a sibling's house so he could keep them as a surprise and have a chance to wrap the box. I didn't tell my brother that I was looking at this style of boots, either, nor did I tell him that I ordered them.

Imagine the surprise that my partner and my sister-in-law expressed when they discovered that both pairs of boots were ordered by each of us separately -- same maker, same quality, same style. Weird (to them.) Natural (to us.)

Life is short: enjoy quality boots!