The way of the cowboy. An art lost in cultural and societal norms. A country that was once run by cattle and ranchers, held together by the rural communities, now outlaws the simple idea of them. People say that what these men stand for is inhumane and cruel. They say their lifestyle is outdated and the world turns without them, but the Western community holds strong in their ways. 

What does it mean to be a cowboy? Some think it’s wearing button down shirts and starched jeans with a cattleman’s style felt hat. Some don’t understand it at all. Those that do, recognize that it is so much more than spurs, chaps, and fancy rodeo events. It’s the calf blood on your hands after splinting a broken leg. The sweat stains on the band of your hat in the middle of a hard snow. The calluses on your palms from dallying and dragging a stray calf. The vaccines in your pocket preventing disease. The heat lamp in the bathroom of your home keeping an early born lamb hanging on. 

It’s the time and care put into every aspect of their life. They know no such thing as rest, rather than the day of the lord. They believe in hard, honest work and using the land they were blessed with. The cowboy will never hang his head, for he knows his worth, even when no one else does.