“When You’re ridin’ thru hell, keep on ridin.” James Owen
It was 2004 and I was going through a rough patch. My big brother Glenn, an honest-to-God cowboy from Nevada, told me I needed to read a new book that had just hit the shelves. James P. Owen, a stockbroker in Austin, and David Stoecklein, an amazing western photographer, had just put together “Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn From the Code of the West.”
That book, with its stunning photographs and down to earth wisdom, brought me through.
This week, as I was contemplating the unbelievable mess this country is in, I rediscovered the book. Actually, it was thrown at me. I’ve had it sitting on my coffee table for some time, just lookin’ good and collecting dust. I had just gotten my electric bill and decided to turn down the AC and turn up the fan.
When I put the fan on full-tilt-boogie, the book jacket was positioned exactly right to take flight when the wind from the fan hit it. And it landed on the floor at my feet. Not one to take ‘messages from God’ lightly, I decided it was time to re-read this treasure.
One of the best lines in the book is appropriate today, “When you’re riding through hell, keep on riding.” A few years ago, Country Singer Rodney Atkins released a song with the same theme. He adds, “before the devil even knows yer there.”
The country is in a mess. Don’t mistake that. We have forgotten who we are and why we are. On this 4th of July weekend, we need to tighten our belts and figure a collective way out of this oil crisis. Don’t give up. Keep on ridin’.
What does that mean? It means we hold our collective representatives feet to the fire. We demand answers from all concerned. We do our best to conserve energy, but we also let our politicians know we ain’t happy they think they get to take this weekend off. One wonders if the founding fathers would have closed up shop a little early to beat the traffic rush and toddle on off to the Hamptons when the country was on fire.
I’m concerned. I’m concerned for you. For the farmer trying to bring in the crops with higher fuel costs for his diesel tractor. I’m concerned for the trucker trying to deliver the goods they move from coast to coast. (Yep, the stuff you “run down to the store” to pick up.) I’m concerned for airlines hurting from increased costs – BTW, they move checks, food, perishables, electronics, mail, time-sensitive docs. Not just humans. I’m concerned for those needing medical care. For those mom and pop operations already on a tight budget.
This oil crisis is one that requires all of us to pay attention, to demand attention, and to find a solution as soon as humanly possible. It isn’t just about ‘not driving your hummer.’
And, we need to also keep on going. Don’t wallow. Don’t give up. But keep moving forward, even in baby steps. If each of us wrote one note to one representative and demanded answers, we might see movement in Washington. Is the answer additional drilling? I don’t know. Do we need an investigation to see if we have another “Enron in California” on our hands? Do we need to encourage as much alternative energy as possible? To give tax credits to businesses to increase research and get better products to market?
Let’s focus our attention on solutions. Focus our energy on bringing the country together, no matter our political differences.
This is the weekend we celebrate our independence. Let’s do everything we can to make sure our great grandchildren will be celebrating the same holiday in the same way years down the road!
God Bless America
Beth
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Beth Terry, CSP, is a Professional Speaker, Author, and Corporate Trainer. She has tried to live the Code of the West her whole life, and is delighted James P Owen and David Stoecklein put it in a beautiful book. And Thanks Rodney Atkins for putting it to music.
©2008 Beth Terry Seminars, Inc. All international and US rights reserved.
Good article. I love the Cowboy wisdom. It reminds me of my Texas roots . . .
Except I like my Houston football teams, not Dallas ones (the Cowboys) . . .
Oh well . . .
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