A DAY AT THE RODEO
6/10/07
I went to a rodeo today. I enjoy rodeos. They are one of the few times during the year I get a chance to wear my cowboy hat and cowboy shirt, act like a kid and fit into a crowd of people doing the same thing. If I could strap on my old cap gun six shooters and get away with it I would.
It’s a great feeling to watch a 160 pound man ride a bucking 1600 pound bull and get thrown off and trampled on. It arouses a strange primitive emotion of danger and conquest. I didn’t get an autographed picture of any of the bull riders, but I thought about it.
During the half time break I strolled through the midway and got a twist soft icecream cone, and bought Leila a “Homemade” lemonade. I watched people playing dart games and a few people taking an elephant ride.
One of the funniest moments of the rodeo was the opening ceremony. After the flag draped cowgirl rode a palomino around the arena and waving the American Flag, the announcer said the rodeo events were sponsored by Toyota. Then a group of cowboys standing on the back of a Toyota pickup truck rode around the arena waving a large American flag. I couldn’t stand the irony, and turned to a woman sitting next to me and said; “Why aren’t they driving a Chevy or Ford pickup?” She looked at me puzzled and said , “I never thought of that, that’s a good question.” It’s no wonder why General Motors and Ford have had one of the worst years in automaker history. Not only is Toyota considered the best maker of cars and trucks in the world, they are sponsoring an all American rodeo and driving around the American flag as the audience cheers them on. I realized after I saw that spectacle of Americanism ; that as long as someone waves the American flag , Americans let them get away with anything. The American flag has a doping effect on Americans. The minute someone waves a flag, or says God Bless the USA, Americans young and old, stand straight and assume the position, to have their pockets picked.
During the final bull riding contest one of the riders was announced as the youngest and greatest rising star in the bull riding business. He was 16 years old. The second the bull got out of the gate the poor kid was thrown off and trampled on and barely saved by the rodeo clown. Once he got up off the ground and shook himself off, I and most of the crowd in the arena began to laugh with relief; as we all admired his spunk, but knew the bull was too much for him and the kid needed alot more practice to compete with the older riders.
I ended the rodeo day by watching a truck pull. A Toyota half ton pickup vs. a Chevy pickup. The Toyota pulled twice it’s weight one hundred yards. The Chevy died after pulling the same weight 50 yards. Everyone started to cheer on the Chevy until it died . Then they all started to Boo. I thought that said it all. Americans love winners and hate losers; no matter what country they come from. Americans really hate loosers from their own country. Leila and I decided to leave as the crowd was beginning to get loud and angry waiting for the next contest of a Ford pickup vs. a Nissan pickup. I didn’t want to be in the crowd if the Ford lost. I could tell the odds favorite was the Nissan. I told Leila it was time for us to get back to our Subaru and go home. She laughed and we quickly walked away from the crowd . Once we left the truck pull area we heard the crowd shouting BOOOO. I turned around to see if I could tell what was happening. The Ford pickup had stalled out and couldn’t get started again.
L.A. STEEL
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