Cowboys Still Exist

This is Roger. Roger is a 125 year old cowboy. Roger has lived his whole life in North Dakota up until he was forced to move South to be closer to his children due to his health. He hates our city as it is a city and it is not North Dakota. I know this because he told me without hesitation.

Roger was not happy with me nor my current company as we do not carry the cowboy boots he wants or the boots cowboys of North Dakota wear. He sternly suggested that I need to take a business trip to North Dakota to understand the real cowboy. This was not a viable option considering on business trips I am required to share a room with a co-worker to save money.

“What city….errr…..what town do I need to visit?” I asked Roger.

Should I have said homestead? Ranch? I don’t know. I’ve never been to North Dakota nor do I have the desire to visit.

“North Dakota is on top of the world.” He proudly exclaimed for no reason and to no one in particular.

When I looked at him as if he had just told me it was going to be 52 degrees today, he dialed it up a notch.

“Of coarse it’s on top of the world because it’s on top of the United States,” he said, motioning with his black gloves that dangled with 4″ fringe. Yes, he wore black gloves with 4″ fringe like what you see in old Western movies.

In addition to the fringed gloves, Roger rocked a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and pressed jeans with a starched crease.

I turned a corner with Roger when I shared my book of cowboy boots that he could purchase from. I told him I could order any boot he wanted. He took off his gloves and sat on a bench with his adorable wife leafing through the book.

‘I need a picture with Roger,’ was my only thought. How could I get a picture with him without pissing him off? Angering him would surely produce a lasso around my neck and I wasn’t prepared to talk my way out of that one.

Alas, I settled snapping this picture while he walked away……

Walking into the sunset…..getting into his Toyota Solara.