Cowboy Up

As I kid I always enjoyed watching Westerns and all things cowboy on TV. Moving over to Utah, I now get the chance, during the summer months, to actually attend live rodeos. It always amazes me the skills demonstrated and reminds me of those childhood days when I would take some rope and try to lasso things. The favorite part of any rodeo though, has to be the bull riding. Truth be told I'd actually love to give it a try myself one day. Chances are though, I would end up breaking a few bones, if not something worse. In fact bull riding accounts for 50% of all rodeo injuries.

Something I only just recently learnt is that the bull as well as the rider is scored. If a bull gives a rider a harder time then the rider is awarded more points. So the roughest, meanest bulls score more points and are used in more rodeos and are ridden by the best riders. 

As the cowboy mounts the bull in the stall you can feel the tension building in the audience. The bull grunts and stamps beneath the cowboy, the rider adjust himself and tightens his grip. Then he gives a nod to those operating the gate. The gate flings open and the bull charges out of the stall jumping, kicking and writhing in an attempt to dislodge the burden on his back. The crowd roar and cheer and the cowboy hangs on for all he's worth. The amazing thing is that the cowboy only has to last 8 seconds. Once that buzzer goes, the rider gets himself off as quickly as he can to the cheers of the crowd. 

If the bull however gets the upper hand he throws the rider from his back, often then turning to attack and stomp on him. When this happens the audience, as one, gasps and becomes silent, not knowing if the cowboy is okay or not. The rodeo clowns move in to distract the bull and draw him away from the fallen rider. The audience waits with baited breath while helpers go to check on rider's condition. The seconds and minutes seem like forever. Then the rider stirs, slowly gets up, and the commentator, in excited tones, announces "Cowboy Up!" The crowd roars, cheers and claps as the brave cowboy makes his way out of the arena.

This phrase "Cowboy Up" is an intriguing one. It seems to be part of the cowboy creed that no matter how badly you are hurt, if you can, you get up and walk, or even hobble out of the arena. Only in the severest cases is a cowboy stretchered from the arena.  In general terms cowboy up means to tough-up, get back on your horse, don't back down, don't give up, and do the best you can with the hand you're dealt.

Life sometimes is like the bull ride. While we do not voluntarily put ourselves in challenging situations, nonetheless we often find ourselves on the meanest, roughest figurative bulls. We do all we can to hang on and face the challenge. Sometimes we are successful, but at other times we fail to last the 8 seconds. We are thrown with great force and sometimes even trampled upon. Many, when this happens, are tempted to just lie there licking their wounds and looking for others to feel sorry for them. But it takes a brave soul, to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and carry on.

Some challenges will leave you bruised, battered and limping. But as the old saying goes, "The only real failure, is failing to get up." Success in life is not measured in the absence of challenges but in how we meet and face those challenges. It is not about whether we defeat the challenges but in our ability to keep moving forward.

So the next time life throws you to the ground and gives you a beating, rise to your feet, dust yourself off and walk out with your head raised high, declaring "Cowboy Up!"