Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Desensitized to Cops and Boots

I guess it was bound to happen. When a guy like me who is particularly fond of tall motorcycle patrol boots and cops in uniforms surrounds himself with ... cops in uniforms wearing tall patrol boots -- like the situation in which I found myself at the recent police motorcycle competition that I judged -- I no longer thought anything other than "nice boots, good looking breeches, now how are you riding?"

I know a lot of guys in a certain group have a "passion" for this stuff. I did, too. Sure, I still like to put on my tall black patrol boots with leather or fabric breeches when I ride my Harley, or on occasions to wear around the house. I might even don a uniform to wear privately to play with my partner. Fun stuff -- like "arrest" him when he gets home from work for the crime of being too good to me. That kind of thing.

This past weekend, I saw lots and lots of uniforms and boots. After a while, I heard myself saying, "oh, there are a pair of Dress Instep Dehners. There's another-- that pair has a double sole. That pair has lug soles. Oh those are Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. Those are Chippewa Patrol Boots." Then more Dehners. Lots of Dehners.

You see it so much you stop looking. Well, let's say you stop gawking. Sure, I admire a well-kept pair of tall patrol boots on a fit cop in uniform. I am a healthy, red-blooded, gay man. But that's it. I have no fantasies, no thoughts in any way about what I'm seeing.

I guess that comes from being in a monogamous relationship so long. I don't think "that way" about anyone other than my partner. And also because I have over a dozen pairs of tall black patrol boots of my own, seeing them on someone else is ... just ... seeing the same thing again and again. Further, I have several friends who are motor officers. I ride with them regularly (when they are not on duty). No.big.deal. They're nice guys -- the good guys whose service protects us every day.

Okay, I am "desensitized." That doesn't mean, however, that I don't stop taking pictures and working on a new photo gallery for my website. The gallery should be ready tomorrow. Look for the announcement soon.

By the way, why is there a copyright overlay on these images? Unfortunately, I have observed that some unscrupulous people have downloaded images from this blog or my website and reposted my images as their own elsewhere. So overprinting a copyright statement is one way to try to stop that bad behavior.

Life is short: know when it is no longer overwhelming.

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