His Hands Said It All

His Hands Said It All

Sponsor: Alvord Taylor: Endless Possibilities

My grandfather was a cattle rancher.

He died when my mom was eleven years old so obviously I never knew him.

But I wonder that somewhere deep in my soul that’s part of who I am?

A few years ago Kathy and I did a series of shows for Toyota on a “dude ranch”.

You pay this rancher to actually learn how to round up cattle and you do it.

I mean you sleep it, eat it, do it.

Probably one of the most meaningful things the two of us have ever done.

https://youtu.be/8M7VEYhWU4U?si=czZZfFuJbtDbvUey

So tonight when we bellied up to the bar in Toston Montana I was in my element.

The Bunkhouse is a bar all the local farmers and ranchers hangout in.

We sat next to this 80 year old rancher named Terry.

It was like sitting next to God, if God drinks a little bourbon now and then.

I could not take my eyes off his hands.

They were a working mans hands not like mine that are callused from a keyboard, Terry’s hands were messy, damaged, crooked and worn.

This dude has pulled cows out of fences, broken things, lifted weight I’ve never seen, rescued cattle…you know a hard working guy, still at 80 years old.

He’s the real deal.

I know you never ask a rancher how much land he has nor how many head of cattle they have so I didn’t.

But as we talked I learned about this man.

He was born and raised right there in Toston.

Never left…never needed to.

His wife was at home.

He came to the local bar to people watch.

He said to me “people are so loud if i want cattle to shut up I feed them. Doesn’t work with people.”

I love the truth spoken from people who work hard, understand the earth, aren’t afraid to get their hands bent up and dirty and who possess something the world seems to have lost….common sense.

We sat there drinking a couple Coors Lights and shooting the shit.

As we paid our bill I shook his hand and thanked him for the conversation.

As I look for the next thing I want to do in my life that’s it.

Spend some of our time traveling the country bringing you videos, podcasts and stories of people like Terry.

The loudmouths will always garner attention.

But who’s gonna tell the story of the folks like Terry?

Me.