Not the "Typical" Cowboys

I enjoy reading books that focus on life in the West or in the country.  Willa Cather, one of my favorite authors, captures the essence of life on the Nebraska prairie in the days of the early settlers. I  recently discovered an author from our area who has written about ranch life.  Her graphic description of a difficult calving situation startled me with its genuineness.  Having been around my husband in his large animal veterinary practice and on his family ranch, I have had opportunity to see and hear about similar situations. I was curious to know her background and discovered that her family had a small herd of cattle, so she indeed had firsthand experience as well that she translates vividly to the written word.   There seems to be a stereotype of ranchers, or cowboys being "rough around the edges," and I am sure that some people are like her characters; however, her characters did not match to my experience growing up on the ranch.

The language of the stereotypical cowboy can be rather rough, but I never once heard my father utter a cuss word, or for that matter any of my uncles, which is amazing to most anyone who works with cattle since they can be quite obstinate at times.   Actually, it is amazing in any situation. But the fact that no one swore, raised the expectations for our behavior as well. We laugh at the incident my sister's Sunday school teacher related to my mother years ago.  My sister observed that her dad never swore; he only said "knuckle-head" or "bird-brain"! I realize that times have changed, but I cringe at the language I hear in casual conversations these days.  I appreciate the examples that I observed in the men of the family which provided a path for me to follow.

Alcohol frequently plays a big part in "cowboy" portrayals with many a scene in the local bar or downing liquor at home to drown life's problems .  Here again, my experience provided a stark contrast. Nobody in my extended family drank at all, and no one in my husband's family either.  In previous generations, each side of the family had members who had their lives disrupted or ended prematurely because of alcohol.  So in part, so our families made conscious decisions not to let that happen to them. But the result on the extended family was that alcohol had no part in our daily lives even though society around us accepted it. I am thankful these values encompassed me in my formative years.

The stereotype of the hard drinking, tough talking cowboy is just that, a stereotype.  Ranchers and cowboys exist who live their lives quite differenty. I am sure that many others do not fit the mold as well.