I have rarely been mistaken for one who makes a living riding horses, working cattle, or running a ranch. I truly admire some of the romanticized aspects of the cowboy way; work ethic, loyalty,
respect, and a connection with the natural world. If you’ve ever seen me on horseback, you know my respect does not translate into skill. Owning horses, cows, and goats does not a cowboy make. I’m a dentist, whether I like to admit it or not. Fortunately, my partner and wife likes still likes the way I look in Wranglers.
I tell you that so that you’ll enjoy this…
A few days ago, my brother and I pulled up to our gate, but it was blocked by a rental car. We were returning home from a trip to town to gather hats and sangria fixings for an impromptu Derby
party. The day had already included a tee‐ball game fish fry and we were dressed appropriately…shorts, coaches shirts, Yankees ball caps and all.
“Do you mind if we take a picture of your longhorns?”
Seeing that these three ladies were obviously, “not from ‘round here,” we offered to let them in the gate and take as many pictures as they liked. As they got out of their car, I began to whoop so that
our two cows would come closer. After five years, every calf we’ve dropped has managed to be female… a rancher’s dream, but no good if you want a steer with actual long horns. The women from Colorado didn’t seem to mind.
The cows cooperated and came to the fence, allowing the tourists to get close enough to almost get knocked out by a stray horn swatting at flies. The three women took as many pictures as they could of wildflowers and our two crooked longhorns. They were thrilled to witness some of the simple things we manage to take for granted most days. After they had their fill, we offered to take their picture with the flowers and animals in the background.
They thanked us for our kindness and said they had to go catch a flight back home. As they walked away, we heard them gushing about their luck and our cooperation. As we got back into the truck, we heard one of them exclaim”…and we even got to meet a couple of REAL cowboys!”
My apologies to those who work cows for a living…I hope we represented you well.
Until next time, keep smiling.
‐Please send comments to Drs. Parrish through www.ParrishDental.com.
