230209 To Be A Cowboy

I always wanted to be a cowboy
When I was only three
Had my picture taken on a horse
But as cowboy I never came to be

I watched John Wayne movies
Wanting to be like him
But boyhood dreams can fade
When a young man’s choices are made

I graduated school, started fixing flats and pumping gas
Bought mechanics tools and forgot about the past
Different choices were made when I joined the Navy
I suffered through boot camp on Navy beans and gravy

I met some guys later during my Navy training
One from Maine, one from Mass, and one from New York State
Two were from Colorado, real cowboys at last
They were cowboys through and true

We crossed the great Pacific together
We flew over and sailed across the sea
It was a great adventure
And its memory means so much to me

My friends from Maine to California
Have always done the right thing
They weren’t always cowboys from boots to hat
But they always did the right thing

Even Harley D from Alabama
Saw the light and did things right
It’s a comfort to me in my advanced age
For many friends who were quite sage

I’ve lived a great life
With the smart, the brave and the bold
Without those great men
This story could not be told

So here’s to the men who have shaped my life
Here’s to the woman I made my wife
Now that I’ve grown quite old
This story, I feel, must now be told

Thanks to all for what you’ve done
Thanks for the lessons and all the fun
My life’s been a journey I wouldn’t trade
For gold, treasure, or things man made

You who were there with me know who you are
Thank you
Bill