rodeo clown
lately, i've somehow been around a lot of tvs showing rodeos. and i'm fascinated by them. i've seen a few events- riding the bull, riding a bucking bronco, and the most impressive, riding a horse and jumping off it to a running bull and tackling it by the horns. it might look cruel, but i think these cowboys care about the animals and value them. there's a mutual respect. almost like a tough love, perhaps? i'm not talking about stabbing bulls in a fight...just hanging on. i guess there's a reason the bulls want them off, though, but that's natural. anyway, i'm developing a real appreciation for the cowboy lifestyle (moving past politics and negative stereotypes). i admire the roughness and the strength and love of the land...and sense of authenticity, i guess. sometimes i'd like to throw a lasso than read quietly in bed. and eat some hearty food instead of my marinated artichoke hearts. maybe it's just the mythology of the cowboy. like curly from city slickers. but i've ridden horses before (went to a whole horse camp one summer) and know the feel. maybe i'm just imagining my own conception of what a cowboy should be, and the rodeo riders might be a different breed, but...i'm impressed. and i like shaking off my assumptions. i also enjoy speaking with a drawl. yessir.