As many fans of the “old-time” westerns know, cowboys used to basically live out of their saddle bags. If they could not carry it on a horse it did not go with them. Now, while we may not live in a day and age where this is necessary, I personally hold many morals and ideas that I always keep stowed away in my “saddlebags.” These are the things that I try and stick by not matter what the situation is. A few of the things in Cole Smith’s saddlebags would include the following:
· A faith instilled in me by my grandfather·
· A hard work ethic developed by working for my father
· A love for spending time with friends and family
· As a dear friend of mine once stated I have a “cowboy’s code of ethics”
· A fondness for the FFA and agriculture
· And a deep passion for the outdoors, be it hunting, fishing etc.
It is this last item, my passion for the outdoors that gave me the idea for my first blog.
I was on vacation in Dillon, Colorado awhile ago. I was sitting on the front porch of the condo we were staying in enjoying an early morning cup of coffee. (For those of you who don’t know I am an avid coffee drinker and if my coffee can't float a horse shoe then it is not black enough) It was early enough that the sun was just beginning to crawl out of bed and shed its first rays of light. The town was not yet alive with traffic, and the house I was in was equally peaceful. As the sun crept higher, the mist began to lift off of the mountains revealing one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. It was in these early hours of the morning that I was able to just sit and enjoy my coffee, without having to worry about FFA related paperwork, what the market was doing, or which colt I wanted to start first when I got home. I was able to just sit back and enjoy nature’s beauty: to simply reflect and realize how blessed I was to live in such a wonderful country. We all lead very busy summers, which are filled with sports camps, jobs, and many other obligations. So busy that we sometimes forget to stop and just breathe. Granger Smith once wrote an immensely powerful song urging everyone to stop and think about what they would do if they had five more minutes with a loved one. I am going to do something much similar. (Unfortunately my message will not have a catchy tune or great guitar to back it up)
I encourage anyone who reads this blog to do what I did that lovely morning high up in the mountains: Simply take a few minutes to stop and breathe, to reflect on how amazingly lucky we are to be surrounded by so much beauty.
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