3/365: New Generation

So today my two children and I piled on the couch to watch some bull riding that I had recorded on our dvr, the PBR will be in town this weekend and I wanted to see how some of my friends were doing this season. To my surprise I did not see one bull rider that I knew and not one that I use to rodeo with. There was no Cody or J.W. Hart, no Justin McBride, and no Cory Melton. Not only were there no riders that I recognized, but there were no bulls either. No BlueBerry Wine, no Little Yellow Jacket and no White Lightin'. I can honestly say that my rodeo days are long behind me, but they were some of the best days of my life. My entire high school years I was driving from one rodeo to another and I loved every minute of it. It was not surprising to see a car load of us hit two to three rodeo's on weekend. It was always great to pull up to a arena and know even if you had never been there before, that there would probably be at least 10 to 20 people you did know. Rodeoing to me was like being apart of a huge family, granted a family you only saw on the weekend but family none the less. I had so many great things happen to me at a rodeo; I met my best friend of 16 years at one, I got over being really shy because of rodeoing, and I learned allot of medical training at rodeos(even though I didn't do anything with it). It was never uncommon to see me behind the chute gates wrapping ribs, pulling out dislocated shoulders, resetting broken fingers and putting ban-aids on cuts. I can't explain what it is about the sport I will always hold so dear, I have always said it takes a different kind of person to do and to love the sport. I have seen grown men fight and bleed for the title to be the best. I have witnessed riders get on bulls with to many broken bones to count, but they still pulled out the eight. I have seen the dreamers that want to be pros and I have stood along side to some of the best pro riders before they were. I have watched so many not make it, but I have seen a hand full of my rodeo family make it to the pros and have beamed with sisterly pride to see them ride. It is the best feeling in the world to see someone you know as dreamed and sacrifice finally get that wish. I guess that is what made me so sad not to see anyone I knew today. You see in bull riding ;if your lucky your poor body will hold out 5 to 10 years after making the pros and not to see those guys just reminded me that we all are getting older. I am not the 17 year old waiting on the weekend anymore and I won't see any of my friends at the rodeo this weekend. But, I will hold on to all those wonderful memories and great guys I met during my rodeo days. I will also admit that no matter where I am the smell of cow sh*t, saw dust and resin will always take me back to those days. To the riders that did it, stayed with it and made it! Goodnight all; See ya'll tomorrow