Howdy, readers. Cowboy Jack here, welcoming you to another day on this rolling prairie I call home. The wind's whistling through the tall grasses, the sun's sittin' high in that wide blue sky, and the scent of the earth is as sweet as wild honeysuckle. Life on the ranch isn’t your average vocational adventure, let me tell you that. But it's a good life. An honest, hard-workin', heart-fillin' life, my friends.
You see, my work ties me to the land, the animals and the elements. It's no regular nine-to-five, punch-in-punch-out kind of job. It's my lifeblood. It's a lifestyle. It's vocational; not in the sterile, corporate sense, but in the old, genuine way. A vocation that comes from the Latin root 'vocare', which means ‘to call.' And boy have I been called.
Whether it's the soulful mooing of my trusty herd waking me up at the crack of dawn, or the way the wind whispers through the mesquite trees drawing me out into the wild, my vocation calls to me, just as powerfully as my mama used to call me to dinner when I was a young'un.
Even when I was a honey-haired boy, the land would call me. The deafening hush of the high plains, the raucous chatter of the birds in the early morn – even the occasional distant howl of a lone coyote. The call was etched in my soul, and so, like the North Star to a lost cowboy, it guided me to my vocational passion.
What I do ain't just for paychecks and bottom lines, but for the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of a herd well-tended, and the pure, unadulterated pleasure of seeing my young'uns grow to love this land as much as their old man does. I reckon no amount of money can compare to the smile in their eyes when they learn how to ride, or the soft touch of a newborn calf, wet and wobbly all over.
This here, my vocation, ain't work to me. It's a blessing, a responsibility I treat with the utmost respect – because it's about more than just the simple pleasures. It's about the legacy I’m building for my brood – a piece of Texas held together not by ropes and poles, but shared stories, shared sweat and shared memories.
Now, I don’t claim to be boldly adventurous, but I’m a man who ties knots – over 500 last time I checked – not just with ropes, but with every strand of life. Be it wrangling a screamin’ heifer during birthing season or joggling with the young ones on a lazy Sunday afternoon, it's all part of the vocation that brings joy, fulfilment and a sense of purpose.
So here I am, savoring every moment, every sunburn, every backache, every sleep-deprived morning, with nothing but gratitude for this vocational adventure that has been my calling. Y'all stay safe now. 'Til next time! Cowboy Jack, signing off.