| Life 'n Times In Cowboy Country
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by Diane Tribitt ~ Hillman, Minnesota
Senior Executive Editor
I.M. Cowgirl Magazine |
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June Cleaver I'm Not
How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower.
- Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
June Cleaver I'm not. I could try to be, if I put my mind to it, but I would put myself at great risk. Instead, I have found that compromise ultimately suffices, which allows me to explore a multitude of "other aspects" of my life. I am a multi-tasker who cannot start and finish projects one at a time. How boring is that? I enjoy the chaotic method of trying to do everything at once, creating a madness of sorts, but never finding myself empty or emotionally exhausted. Physically, yes, emotionally, no. In short, I do what I love, and I love what I do. I try to do fun projects first, saving the bitter ones for last. I also like to eat my dessert before my meal. I work well under pressure. Moreover, when injustices befall me and I don�t have the ghost of a show, I am driven to superhuman endurance and fighting strength.
To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.
- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Could Benjamin have worded it any better than that? Opportunity is a window. Some gaze through it, astounded by the view, but never open it, never reach beyond it, content to stay in the safe-zone. Me? I usually hang out of it, teetering precariously at times between the known and the unknown.
Smart? Maybe not. Fun? You bet! Regrets? Never.
Today is not yesterday: we ourselves change; how can our works and thoughts, if they are always to be the fittest, continue always the same? Change, indeed is painful; yet ever needful; and if memory has its force and worth, so also has hope.
- Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
We all have to make life-choices. I never used to be part of the intricate ranch-management process, I was more of an absolute helper. I helped with gathering, branding, feeding, hauling, sorting, doctoring and calving, but I had always looked to "authority" for direction. Fate changed all that. With as much pluck as I could muster, I tried to tally up the economics of running the ranch solo. The financial figures totaled hard work and hard luck. The sentimental figures, however, is what drew me in for the long run. The ranch was home to my children, cattle, dogs, horses and me. I dug my roots in deep, and I would not abandon it -not without a fight, anyway.
Many of us have beaten down our trials and tribulations, protecting what we love - fearlessly, endlessly and daily. We have also embraced our successes and accomplishments with pride, neither wanting nor seeking outside praise or affirmation. We have traveled trails that ventured into unfamiliar territory. As the editor of I.M. Cowgirl, I have discovered one trail such as this - another most rewarding "window of opportunity" that allows me the privilege of helping to bring ordinary (and extraordinary) Western women to the forefront. Women like you and me.
All we can hold in our cold dead hands is what we have given away.
- Sanskrit Proverb
The greatest wealth is in what we give - not what we get. I don't punch a time clock and don't own a 401k, but I work awful long hours and dabble in some high-risk bovine stock options (yes, the 4-legged kind). I have raised kind, honest, respectful and law-abiding children. They know God's love, and they will pass these traits on to their children. I consider that my greatest wealth, my legacy, my ultimate lifetime asset.
Housework is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it.
- Evan Esar (1899-1995)
No - cleaning, dusting and mopping are not high on my priority list. I spend most days tending to children and ranch chores. When time allows, I tend to housework. My Cowboy is always willing to help, too, bless his heart! When I can, I write. I suppose I will never feel consigned or resigned to the narrow drudgery of domestic life. I don't feel substandard when I use frozen cookie dough or muffin mix once in a while. I thrive on the pleasure of honesty and humor as I stumble through each day. Of all the jobs I have had, the most precious is that of being a mother. It is a hard, unsung, messy, imperfect job. It is also the most glorious and rewarding. Ranching and writing is the frosting on my cake.
What I'm saying is when given the choice of mopping floors, or riding through land that is laden with wildflowers, fresh grass, flowing brooks, wildlife and cattle, what would you chose? Nope, June Cleaver I'm not, and will probably never be.
Talent is like a faucet, while it is open, one must write.
- Jean Anouilh Ardele (1910-1987)
Happy Trails!
Diane