I have to start off by saying that the person that inspired this blog is very dear to me. Quite possibly one of the best people I’ve ever met.Cowboys are most definitely not all the same but they aren’t quite so different as to compare them to snowflakes. Not all of them are good at riding a horse – that seems blasphemous but many rodeo cowboys only ride roughstock and don’t have horses at home. Not all of them rope either.
Many people agree that a “true” cowboy is a person that cares for cows. Some will even go so far as to say a cowboy doesn’t need a horse to care for cows anymore. I suppose I can believe that, with four wheelers and dirt bikes, they are a bit more reliable than some horses. However, a horse can go places a four wheeler and dirt bike can’t - right along after a cow. So, I suppose it’s the mind and the hands at the wheel that choose the vehicle.
Anywho, I don’t classify that strictly anyway. I feel like you know a cowboy when you meet one and it isn’t the hat that gives it away.
Cowboys are homebodies and transient gypsies all at the same time. They procrastinate running to the store and going out to dinner but for a show or a rodeo they can be gone at 5:00am without complaint.
They live simply, they do not have a lot of “stuff.” There are whole books out there on how to simplify your life, and these guys have been doing it for forever. Of course living simply does not mean living without the big screen tv or a cell phone.
For the same shows and rodeos they are anal about their starched and pressed jeans, bathed and clipped horses and oiled and conditioned tack. However, when the dog destroys his umpteenth toy, the pieces will lie around the house for days. Conservatively speaking.
Dishes are done before dinner, so that dinner can be made and people have plates and utensils. Cowboys fry everything on the top of the stove, for some reason, I’ve never met one that owned a microwave. You would think a microwave would be his best friend, but many don’t seem to have found the need to purchase one.Cowboys don’t wear cowboy hats everywhere they go. They mostly go on for the show, rodeo or some event where they want their starched and pressed jeans. I should say that the cowboy that spends his days in the sun, in the middle of nowhere, caring for cows, especially in the south, will wear his hat. The shade comes in handy. However, in Montana, where the wind is always blowing, no one wants to chase their hat anywhere.
Cowboys love coffee, whisky and beer. However the whisky and beer is a rarer occasion than one might think. It’s for special occasions and drinking often is not considered a good quality in a person. Although some cowboys have fallen into the whisky trap a time or two.
Cowboys often know a lot more about the human body than your average person. I think cowboys have been practicing homeopathic self-care a lot longer than it was ever in style. I have been prescribed Vitamin K and Potassium for the knots in my legs.
That does not make them health nuts! In the kitchen I found Oscar Meyer baloney, Wonder bread, Kraft singles American cheese, milk, pickles, eggs, bacon, salsa, Mountain Dew, sugary kids cereal, pork and beans, a can of corn, flour, salt and pepper. Not a vegetable or fruit to be found. Canned corn is not a vegetable.
Cowboys are hospitable and attentive, when they are paying attention to you. If they are not paying attention, your hair could be on fire and they might not notice. Otherwise the coffee is on and in your hand before you even know you need some.
Not all cowboys are good with horses, this one happens to be a good horse trainer so he is very good with horses. And he can teach a moving horse and rider. His ringside manner is that of a football coach but the information is clear.
All in all, cowboys are their own breed in themselves. They are easy to hate and easy to love. I think the trick to appreciating a cowboy is just letting them be and either accepting the change in your life or not getting close enough to experience it. Fun to talk to, fun to ride with, fun to drink beer with and perhaps fun to date if a person is willing a little angst. “I tried to be domesticated or sophisticated or whatever you want to call it but it didn’t work out too hot.” ~D
