Iron Boots Devil Dog

Over the past six months, the trip I have been on with my Iron Boots Devil Dogs has aligned very well with the metaphorical journey that I’ve been on with my son as he has gone through the full college application process. The timing of the Dome coincides quite well for U.S. college applications, from the first early applications in October through to the final college decisions arriving by April 1st. My son and I have trodden paths through many college campuses in the great state of California during the past six months, he always in his Hokas and I in my Devil Dogs. The state that my boots have taken over the months remind me of the trials and tribulations he has gone through, as well. In the fall, the world was open to him and all shiny with possibility, like a brand new pair of boots. Through the process of writing, and re-writing, and re-writing again the numerous personal statements, essay questions, and statements of purpose, the newness and excitement becomes scuffed and sullied a bit. Nothing too serious, but you can see the boots start to lose something of their ideal form, just as the boy loses some of the lofty esteem he once held for many of the nations’ institutions of higher learning. As the days wear on and colleges start to respond, each rejection results in a palpable mark on my son’s pride. These setbacks are not debilitating, but just like the scuffs and scrapes on my Devil Dogs, leave permanent welts on an ego that is too young to feel this dejected. In the end, the child is taking an important step toward adulthood, managing the disappointment and coming to terms with the reality of his near future. Like a well-loved pair of boots, he is better, not worse, for the journey he has taken.