Lone cowboy praying the RosaryOne blog I visit daily is listed on my blogroll (right sidebar area) as "Catholic-Faith and Country". I do not 'push' this blog because it IS religious, and I do try (somewhat) to honor our important, necessary, and beautiful Traditions. After all, they are the "cement which holds us together as a fellowship." However, she--or he--posted a picture of a cowboy, this evening, which brought me to recall a time of my 'yoot', about age 11-13. So following is a:
Memory of a "deprived" -grin-, childhood: At a young age I had my 'own' horse on our several-hundred-acre farm near Cincinnati, Ohio. Yep. Saddle, etc., all the accouterments. And I'd ride way back to the third pasture, a thirty-acre Mecca for little boys who wish to camp out, be alone, and survive on peanut butter sandwiches with jelly, milk, cookies (and accouterments--I like that word!). Yes, accouterments, like Graham Crackers and Baby Ruth Bars.
The few times I did this alone contributed to my early spiritual development, because it was just me, mah hoss, and God out there. (Note who is listed first!). We were like...buddies. He was my Friend, my Companion. A fifty-year period of time was soon to arrive when I became de-enthralled with rigidities of the church, with the processions, the litanies, the lengthy prayers--I wanted to talk to God in MY language, not someone else's. Please understand that I now LOVE all these 'church' signs of subservience, of attempts at humility, outwardly acknowledging my Creator. AA allowed me to retrieve all that stuff. I even now play violin at mass every Sunday. (Big Deal, huh?)
But ya know, as a fantasized long-ago cowboy, I prayed the rosary also, out there in the field of dreams, surrounded by those flowery woodlands which Mary Louise in Africa aptly and often describes. Perhaps the graces I received then, are what brought me to this AA fellowship, this program, yes, even to this anonymous blogging community. I have come to NEED you, guys.
I appreciate use of the cowboy picture! NOTE: When ya get my age, ya can comment with a personal experience on almost anything--a word, a picture, a thought.
Fond and wonderful memories are also on my own gratitude list, today, and most days. And I send Peace, and Love to all, even our new president....now, damn! WHY did I have to write it like that?
mem-a-roni or screw-up-a-roni
17 comments:
what a beautiful memory!
Well spoken, ride-em-Roni.
Love the cowboy.
Awesome memory! I also had a horse in my "deprived" childhood (my voice sounds funny from the tongue in cheek)
It was a Shetland pony that was alcoholic for all intents and purposes...totally insane! It ran us into barbed wire fences and bucked a lot (definitely not 'broke in) But it sure was fun for the time we had it. After realizing it was not going to be tamed my grandpa bought us a 3-wheeler... just as dangerous in the hands of us kids, but he felt better about it. :)
I love that when I look back on my life I see that those times when I really needed the comfort, the fact that my grandparents gave me that spiritual foundation to build on was really really a blessing, because I do remember praying when I was little, and now, taking a good honest look back, I see where God stood holding me up all along. I just had to have eyes willing to see, ears willing to hear, and a heart willing to open.
Thanks!!!
Just stoppin' by to wave at the cowboy!
wonderful - I am glad you shared this and am heading to his page now!
Cat
I love this post and what a joy and beautiful share! Thank you,
g
One of the things I have learned in my journey this last 16 months was to let go of my resentments toward organized religon..as my spiritual path is leading me, I can now recognize that parishinors of the various faiths and denominations are merely following their own path and sometimes our paths cross. Focusing on the faith and not on the dogma really helps me here..
Kathy Lynne, you stated it so well:
"...Focusing on the faith and not on the dogma really helps me here.."
I, too, have found a heretofore undreamed-of tolerance here in Alcoholics Anonymous. Only rare is it that I slip in that.
However, practicing Patience! Well, that's another story. Working on it!
Good memories are a good thing.
That's a good memory. I didn't have a horse as a kid but always wanted to be a cowboy. You lived my dream.
I always wanted a pony. We did not live on a farm. We lived in the city suburbs in a house on a block with a lot of other houses.
I would beg and beg my mother. She used to say, (as so many rational adults do) "Where will we keep a pony?" I always knew exactly where and would answer, "Under the back porch steps." -Grin- I really meant it too.
I appreciate hearing the stories from perspective that involve a bit more time spent on this plane. It is grounding and refreshing to get a glimpse at the words that describe the pictures, that play in your mind. I will be following your blog more in the future. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for stopping by my blog! See you around :)
You hit a real spot in my heart with this one. I still giggle when I think back before I started going to AA. I HATED church, especially the last church that my Dad forced me to attend. How ironic that I'm back at *that* place. So many things have changed, thank God one of them was my heart. Thank you so much for sharing this today.
Thank God for memories. By that I mean the cobwebs haven't shut them out. When I was about 9 or 10 a friend of my Mother's gave me a quarter horse. I only got to keep him for about 30 days. My stepfather must have thought the 75 cent a bail of hay , miight have kept him from his .99 cent bottle of that days freshly bottled wine. But I have that memory of those 30 days and I enjoy most of them. Keep those memories flowing.
You're back and I missed youuuuuuuuuu!
Please go to my blog, there is something special there for you! You are an inspiration and bring me joy each day! Thank you!!!
xo gabi
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