Most of the time it's a conversation starter, but some people do actually want to know. Why would I want to spend time at someone's feet, cleaning and polishing their boots.
Some people ask me if it's a foot fetish.
At first this question made me very uncomfortable and I had to bite my tongue, but then I realized it's not the customer's fault, they're just trying to figure it out. (I'm sure some bootblacks have a foot fetish...it's just the question that annoys me...the implication that bootblacks only do this work to get their jollies.)
The answer to the original question, though, is extremely complicated.
At first it was just watching bootblacks work that intrigued me. Here are people actually doing something useful. And look at the connection they have with the people in the chair. How cool is that, I thought.
And then I talked to a few. Learned a little bit about what they do. An interest rapidly turned into the thought that I might actually want to do this, which led me along a winding and sometimes bumpy path to where I am now.
Over time I started befriending more people from the Leather community. I joined the Philadelphia Leather Alliance. I got to know more bootblacks from throughout the country. I found myself attracted to the values often attributed to the Leather culture: service, integrity, loyalty, etc. I liked being around Leather people, as I found that more often than not, I could find real friendship and trust, much more than that of the kink/fetish community, and even the nilla world.
Since then I have bootblacked in as many venues as possible. TESFest, The Floating World, Boot Camp, Black Phoenix, Aviary a few times, Philadelphia Leather Pride Night.
Where has all of this led me?
I have a few bootblacking gigs coming up during the fall. Of course I'm excited about those.
But otherwise, my future as a bootblack is unclear.
There just aren't many opportunities for a female-identified bootblack to do regular work in the Philly/NJ/DE area.
(Side note: Things could be worse, after all...I could be a male-identified bootblack. In the tristate area I cannot think of even one.)
I need to know that what I'm doing has some purpose, some long-term result. As a spiritual person, I tend to believe that if we follow our passions, our bliss, our life journey will be that much more fulfilling.
My purpose, my place, my role in the scheme of things is so unclear right now. Like I'm standing in a foggy street waiting for it to clear up and reveal what's ahead.
I can't just sit around and twiddle my thumbs. The clock is ticking. I'm almost 50.
So, with nothing else to do, I am determined to continue work on my apprenticeship projects. To be the best bootblack I know how to be. To remember that although my opportunities are few, I must make the absolute best of each one.
In the end, the fog will clear. I am sure of it.
And, for a picture, here's a saddle I worked on recently. The top is before, bottom is after.
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