Closet Country Gal

Remember what it was like to be a child living in your own little bubble?  You know where you thought every family was like yours? 

For instance…

I thought everyone ate dinner watching Sanford and Sons like we did.

I thought all spaghetti sauce was made from scratch rather than from a jar.

I thought having a brother who was a year older, but in the same grade as me was like other brothers and sisters.

I thought all family vacations consisted of camping in tents and motorhomes.

I thought all kids grew up within minutes of both sets of grandparents.

Didn’t you have some things that you just thought were normal and what everyone did when you were younger?

One thing that I’m learning that isn’t necessarily a part of everyone’s upbringing is rodeos.

We grew up going to the Pasadena Rodeo every September.  Then we would go to the Houston Rodeo in March.  We did this every year…mainly because that was what my dad loved.  Eventually he joined the Houston Rodeo committee and several years ago convinced my brother to join too.  He even had season tickets so we always had the same seats.

I remember when we were kids and would go to the Rodeo on the nights he would work and we would stay out there late while he helped clean up.  Probably not the best parenting choice…but we’re Hastons and we don’t follow the conventional rules of child upbringing!  While Dad was working Clay and I would chase each other through all the seats and would literally run around the entire Astrodome just laughing and jumping over people’s leftover trash.  Man we were easily entertained!

Then when I got into junior high and high school Dad would let me pick one night that I could have his tickets and bring my girlfriends.  I chose Reba McEntire every single year…that is until she stopped coming and then I fell hard and fast for Martina McBride.  I got 4 tickets and then he could get 2 people in with his badge.  So my mom would bravely drive me and 4 other girls out there so we could dress up in our tight jeans, lace up Ropers, and scream our heads off during the concert.  Debo was brave!

The tradition didn’t change even as an adult.  The last Rodeo Dad was alive for he again let me choose my night of choice so I could bring my roommates down and he even arranged it so that we could all ride in the Grand Entry that night.  As it turned out Dad had just been diagnosed and couldn’t be there the night we went.  However, his buddies knew how much he loved to spoil me and my friends when we came to the Rodeo and they came through in amazing ways.

They worked it out for us to eat dinner below the stadium with all of the Rodeo contestants.  They got us passes to go meet Martina McBride!!!!  They gave us plenty of drink tickets so that we didn’t have to pay for anything.  And they made sure someone was with us throughout the whole night to take care of anything we needed.

Even now that Dad is gone I still go home every year for the Houston Rodeo.  Usually I have some friends come with me, but it didn’t work out that way this year. 

I went last night with Clay, but he had to work.  So I sat and watched the show by myself.  Luckily though my cousin Becca was working the bar right by the section I was in and kept bringing me Dr. Peppers every 30 minutes right when I would finish my other.

Here’s Bubba and I…He’s a Captain this year!

I got to see several of my dad’s Rodeo buddies and hug their necks.  That place was like his second home so I love that I can still go back and be a part of something that brought him such joy.  I even got through the whole night with just a few tears.

I was sitting there watching the Rodeo and realized…I love this!  I love cowboys.  I love horses.  I love cattle.  I love the chaps.  I love the country accents.  I love the country music.  I love the excitement of watching a bull ride and gripping my hands together praying that he makes it for 8 seconds.

To some the Rodeo may not mean that much. 

To me…it’s a piece of home.

You may not recognize the country girl in me from first glance, but she’s in there! 

There’s that part of me that just wants to wear jeans, boots, and a pearl snap every day.

There’s that part of me that wants my own horse so that I can go riding whenever and for however long I want to.

There’s that part of me that wants to sit on the porch with a glass of sweet tea at night and watch the stars. 

There’s the part of me that wishes she had a little country house on a piece of land where she can grow a garden with all her own vegetables…which of course I’d give all away because I don’t really like many vegetables!

There’s that part of me that wants to have cows just so I can go round them up with my horse.

There’s that part of me that really wants a barn for no other reason than because I think it would be cool...oooh and a tractor too!

And there’s a part of me that wants to marry a cowboy who wears Wranglers…and says, “Yes Ma’am.”…and opens the truck door for you…and comes in the house at the end of the day dirty and sweaty…and who I can ride alongside him on our horses…and who will sit on the porch with me…and who can mend fences and build things…and who can fix the tractor when its acting up…and who drives a big truck like my Dad did!

Sometimes I wonder if those things will be a part of my story.  You see I have so many things that I desire for my future that I’m not quite sure how God can make them all come together.

But then I remember that He created the whole world just by speaking…and did a darn fine job if I do say so myself!!

I’m sure He’s got my life under control.  But if He could work one of these into my story, I'd be much obliged!!!