By
Natalie Bright
This was first posted on
Natalie's blog.
Business associates from
Pennsylvania were touring the Texas Panhandle with my husband. They asked, “Are
there cowboys today that do what cowboys used to do. Are they real?” He explained
that they exist and still carry on the age old traditions of working cattle
ranches, just as they did a century ago.
One of those real cowboys was
buried Saturday.
Even though he was only 54
years young, the impact he had was evidenced by the showing of family and
neighbors (I heard over 500). The sanctuary and the fellowship hall were full,
leaving some standing when the chairs were filled. He’d dedicated his whole
life to ranch work, with outfits from Texas to Colorado to Arizona. He had a
boundless work ethic, and he was a testament to the meaning of an unshakable
faith in God.
Family and friends shared
their stories of his quick wit and love for life, and I was surprised to learn
that this rough and tough cowboy had penned several poems. I’m glad they were
read at the service, and one man shared a poem written in memory of the
deceased. I paraphrase; if you need a fence mended, if you need a horse rode
that’s a little rank, if you need hay hauled – call Roy Don.
We don’t claim to be perfect
in this part of the USA, and yet I studied the faces at this funeral and found
my belief in mankind restored. No matter the mistakes, one humble,
hard-working cowboy’s days were done, yet the influence of his life had brought
hundreds of us together. The power of one person can—and did—make a
difference.
Some parts of the world may
find it hard to believe that men like Roy Don Creacy exist. There remain places
where folks care deeply for the land and animals, where cowboys (and girls)
give a day’s work with honesty, loyalty and integrity, and where a man’s word
is his bond.
After a lifetime of effort on
this planet, the most any one can hope is that our sendoff will involve an
overflowing sanctuary and a fellowship hall with standing room only.
-----------------------
Natalie Bright is
an author, blogger, and enjoys speaking about history and story craft. Her
stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications. She holds a BBA from WTSU, her husband is a geologist
and cattle rancher, and they have two teenaged boys. She’s on the web at
Facebook/Natalie-Bright-Author, Twitter @natNKB,
Amazon Author Pages, Pinterest/natbright, www.nataliebright.com and she blogs
every Monday at http://wordsmithsix.wordpress.com
3 comments:
I enjoyed reading this heartfelt post, Natalie. Thank you.
Thank you for speaking to the grandeur, strength, and sensitivity of honest western people working everyday at what they are good at and truly love.
Natalie, I missed this when you first put it up but I'm glad I went back to read it. Here in the Texas Panhandle we do indeed know that real cowboys exist, just like Virginia knew there was still a Santa Claus. The hearts of these hard working men hold the same dreams, desires, love for the land, love for family and animals as their ancestors. I'm glad they are the backbone of my writing passion and drive me to keep telling stories of the cowboys of old. May this passion never die.
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