Homage to a True American Cowboy
Posted on February 8, 2008 by admin
As my Grandpa’s birthday approaches I thought I’d share a few of the many wise words he spoke. He passed at 55, when I was just five years old, but my memory of him is as vivid as if he was sitting next to me now.
He was a true American cowboy. An engineer by trade–working for the “outer space program”, as my Texas-accented Grandma used to say–he held fast to his cowboy roots. He was soft-spoken but firm, gentle but mighty. He’d put on a pair of dusty Levi’s and work on his truck every Saturday morning with a Budweiser on the garage shelf and Buck Owens playing on the radio. When I’d spend weekends with him and my Grandma he’d give me a quarter if I finished my oatmeal before he did: “One for the money, two for the show” was how our race always began. He always let me win.
Anyway, a few of his favorite phrases come to mind whenever I think of him.
On loose-lipped, fast-talkin’: “Speak slowly. Think quickly”.
On being a good listener: “Never miss a chance to shut up and learn”.
On women who wore tight clothes and too much makeup: “She’s rode hard and hung up wet”.
And on western belt buckles: “A good belt buckle will keep your pants up but only careful consideration and plain talk will keep your head on straight”.
Hats off to you, Grandpa.
For more cowboy quotes, click here. Listen to Buck Owens sing one of my (and my Granpa’s) favorite songs below.
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Great job, you described your grandpa’s character to a T!!
What a wonderful article. How blessed you are to have memories of your Grandpa. I knew him and he was truly a wonderful man, who you’ve described eleoquently.
Great article. It made me think of my Grandpa. He paid me a dime to sit in the truck and wait while he had a beer, and he paid me a quarter to practice the piano.
Gotta love them grandpas!