Jul 31, 2020
Hey Y'all! We're back with our Cowboy Mentor episodes, this time around I talk with Gerald Burns. Gerald is a true cowboy, and one of the men I remember as someone I looked up to. This is the first of a 2-part conversation where we dive into Gerald's life working as a cowboy, part-time preacher, part-time banker and full-time girl-dad. Enjoy!
Subscribe to The Cowboy Perspective, hosted by Neil Dudley and produced by Straight Up Podcasts
Original Poem by Gerald Burns
I had a good friend a straight shooter he was
There was none more righteous, with cow or a horse
A Cowboy by trade and not just in name
He could handle a tough bronc, as bad as they come
We cowboyed a lot, this friend and me
Back when we was young, this cowboy and me
We worked lots of calves in the spring of the year
We rode some young horses when slack times appeared
We gathered lots of stock, for ole Sam and Joe
We didn’t always like it, as Juicey would know
Pride was a factor, we could look at a cow
And tell what she’s thinking, most didn’t know how
Born with it I guess, this Cowboy and me.
An eye for a horse, a yearn to be free
He’s still ridin' those broncs, though he cheats them some now,
And there’s still none better, at ropin' wild cows
We don’t cowboy together, much any more,
My work’s changed some, a new set of chores,
Oh I still look at cattle, my eye’s not grown dim,
But I miss all the good times, I spent with him
Long hours of work, when the wives thought we’d left
But we was just workin cattle, in spite of ourself
I hope he thinks of me, when he sees a good hand,
Who’ll be in the right spot, without sign or command
I hope he can feel, when he makes a good ride
And Remember that young cowboy, who worked by his side
We were a good team, we fit good together
And I’ve never found work, that I liked any better
I could go on for hours, with lots of wild tales,
About horses we’d rode, or cows we had trailed
Maybe that’ll come later, when time can afford,
It’d be some good readin, but I’ve got a chore
We never talked much, about things that mattered,
There never was need, when cows we was gatherin,
But before I lose thought, or one of us leaves,
There’s things you should know, between you and me
A better friend I’ll never find, a kindred soul, of the same mind
We should still be workin, on an outfit somewhere,
Runnin it of course, for some rich millionaire
I never have told you, what a good friend you’ve been
I couldn’t feel closer, even if we was kin
I hope you don’t think, I quit cowboyin by choice
If I could make wages, I’d be ridin a horse
Maybe we’ll get old, and have time to talk,
Sit and Remember, all the places we’ve walked
This may not be “Punchy”, this letter of Rhyme
But it’s helped me to say it, now that I’ve took the time
Gerald
Jan/18/1995
(2:34) – Gerald’s background
(6:30) – How Gerald became a preacher
(11:53) – The Lord prepares you for opportunities in life
(15:20) – How Gerald got into banking
(21:47) – Raising girls
(27:50) – An emotional kind of guy
(32:20) – Gerald’s youth and his family
(35:45) – Where Gerald got his cowboy philosophy
(41:05) – The best cowboy Gerald ever knew and learning how to rope
(42:55) – You can’t skip steps
(44:15) – The good horses
(47:20) – More on Gerald’s cowboy philosophy: Born a cowboy and the way you look at things
(54:50) – Real cowboys don’t call themselves cowboys
(56:00) - Different kinds of cowboys, different ways of doing things, and watching Billy
(58:55) – Some people are there for the cattle, and some people are there for the horse
(59:25) – Billy, one of the most talented individuals
(61:00) – Gerald’s poetry
(63:25) – Wrap up
The Cowboy Perspective is produced by Straight Up Podcasts & Root and Roam