Tags
country music, Cowboy Code, Cowboy Poetry, Cowboy Way; Rural Life; Country ;, faith, Family, It's the Cowboy Way, Music, Schiferl's WJ Ranch, WJ Ranch, WJ Ranch; Horses; Rural Living;
This past weekend, I had more fun than a contestant in a greased pig contest. (Actually, I’ve never been in a greased pig contest and now that I think about it, it does sound a little messy) Let’s just say I had an awesome weekend!
It is no secret that I love to sing. I love to sing all kinds of music! (okay, maybe not rap or heavy metal) Check that. I love to sing JUST ABOUT all kinds of music. I particularly love gospel, bluegrass and traditional country. But when no one is looking and I’m sitting all alone with my guitar, I find myself singing the old cowboy tunes. Let me belt out a version of “Red River Valley” or “Cowboy Sweetheart” or give me a pencil and paper so i can write a song about cattle and horses and I am in a happy place. Up until now the opportunity really wasn’t plentiful, however, for me to perform this kind of music very often. That is until last weekend when I was invited to sing at the “Old West Days Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival” in Valentine, NE.
The festival gave me the opportunity to sing the songs I love to sing. But more importantly, I learned many things about these types of gatherings. From the minute I arrived, everyone was remarkably genuine and extremely friendly. It was like going to a family reunion, except that you enjoyed every one of your relatives! Those that knew each other were welcomed with hugs and smiles like they were long lost friends. You could just sense the camaraderie. The new friends I made (and there were many) were caring and accepting. Some showed me new ways of placing a guitar capo, some shared new songs with me that I never heard before, some gave me ideas about how to get more involved in cowboy festivals and others shared great stories. The committee had worked long hours in planning an event which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, performers and attendees alike.
Please take note that “the Cowboy Way” is alive and well. To many people, those are not just a few meaningless words. Back in the day, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger and others had codes and “rules” for their lifestyles. Check them out and read them. The commonalities were honesty, integrity, faith, respect and the Golden Rule. Wouldn’t the world be different today if everyone followed these guidelines?
At a cowboy festival, people come to share their love for preserving a heritage. It is people of all ages sharing stories and songs about ranch life, hard work, faith and family. The Cowboy Code was alive and well in Valentine, NE last weekend and I was blessed to be a part of it.
This morning I got a call to sing in a second cowboy gathering in a few weeks. I said “Sign Me Up!” You know what? I think I could get used to this.