Are You A Cowgirl?
Fort Worth, where I live, is a unique city for several reasons. We’re the 13th largest city in America, but you’d never know it. It feels so much smaller.
We probably have the only water garden in the world. You read that right – it’s a garden of water; not flowers. It’s amazing.
Our downtown is named Sundance Square after the famous Sundance Kid. During the great cattle drives of the late 1800’s, Fort Worth was one of the major stops on the legendary Chisholm Trail. Cowboys on the trail would drop their cattle off at the Stockyards up the road and then visit downtown Fort Worth for the saloons, gambling parlors, shooting galleries, and dance halls. The Sundance Kid and his partner Butch Cassidy were frequent visitors to the area, then known as Hell’s Half Acre. So were Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, well-known participants in the “Shootout at the OK Corral.”
We still have the Stockyards as a major tourist attraction. The original pens have been turned into unique stores and restaurants. Riscky’s, for all-you-can-eat ribs, is a regular stop when friends visit from out of town.
We have more horse shows in Fort Worth than any city in America, in the Will Rogers Equestrian Center, and it’s not uncommon to see people riding horses in the Stockyards and on some major city streets. We also have the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. It’s a fun place to take friends.
The last time I was there, a docent definitely enjoyed telling us that too many people narrowly define “cowgirl.” Surprisingly, we can consider ourselves cowgirls if we are bold women who display extraordinary courage and the spirit of pioneers as we blaze our own trails. That’s why women artists, musicians, scholars, and ranchers from the west have been inducted into the Hall. For example, Sandra Day O’Connor has been inducted.
So, what about it? Do you know any cowgirls? Are you one? Have you blazed your own trail? Displayed courage? The spirit of a pioneer? Would you like this to be one of your identities? Make it happen!
Encourage someone today by telling her she’s a cowgirl. Enjoy her reaction and then explain your comments.
