Bonnie asked, "Does cowboy poetry have any spiritual content?"

My first reaction was, "Of course!" But thinking I should do a little research, I spent some time on the Western Folklife Center's website (www.westernfolklife.org), listening to a podcast of Yvonne Hollenbeck's poem, "The Christmas Quilt," in which a family's lost loved ones and their sacrifices are stitched together with the Christmas story and Christ's sacrifice for us. Yes, right there was spiritual content in this first poem, randomly picked and touchingly read by the author.

And then on to irreverently reverent Paul Zarzyski's blog and his poem, "Face-To-Face" which pretty much puts us at the primal, pulsing center of the universe. And "Putting the Rodeo Into Cowboy Poetry," with its cosmos/universe/seasons and this wonderful line: "fall madly in love with earth¹s fickle ways."

Then a goldmine of poems in the book/CD "Buckaroo: Visions and Voices of the American Cowboy," edited by Hal Cannon and Thomas West (Callaway, Simon & Shuster © 1993. "My Requiem" by quintessential Montana cowboy-poet/rancher Wallace McRae lists man's usual earthly efforts at immortality‹art, architecture, grand works‹and then concludes,

But grant to me this final wish
When I say that last amen:
Let my mark be carried lightly
In the hearts and minds of men.

So, did I find any spiritual content on this first foray into cowboy poetry? There are plenty of the to-be-expected hard drinkin', hard ridin' poems, and laments about the hard, hard life ("Oh, I never knew what misery was, Till I started herding sheep." -Jack Walther). And there are lots of humorous riffs on the cowboy life (Larry Schutte's "Cowpen Moo-sic", or Paul Zarzyski's "Ain't No Life After Rodeo").

But I also found the kind of introspection and spirituality that comes from living life at the edge of death, from being alone under a big sky, alone with the universe, alone with your hopes and fears, alone with your self-sufficiency or not. Big highs, big lows, big hearts, big spirit.

Reminded me of the Psalms. These poems put me there. Forty days in the desert or the high plains, outside of Elko, on horseback, on a ranch. I need to read more before we hit the road!

Road Trip to Elko – Anne Garner Austin's "prequel"

I am glad Bonnie asked about the spiritual aspect of Cowboy Poetry, because it has really gotten me to think about what was probably the 'real' reason I wanted to go.

Laura always delights me with her thoroughness but she did not have to prove to me that you could find spiritualness in cowboy poetry. I am not going to Elko to hear cowboy poetry in search of spirituality, because I already know it will find me. I AM going however; to reconnect with the breed of folk I grew up with. Folks that say what they mean and mean what they say; and when they offer you their hand, they are giving their word. These are the men and women that the phrase “Salt of the Earth” was coined for. I have missed them, and just in the planning of this trip, I have already begun the reconnection.

My family came to Lake County in 1883. I was born here, to parents of the Depression, and raised on a working cattle ranch. It is home and it is where I draw my strength from. Our family ties run deep and we are connected to the land, but sometimes in the day to day living we lose touch with these ties. I have always found a quality in Cowboy Poetry that rekindles the spirit and sends it soaring.

I mentioned yesterday that last year was very turbulent for me and I have found through the strength of friends and God, that the simplest joys are the most uplifting. I intend to find those joys in Elko; with people that work hard, play with abandon and laugh often, and I could not have selected a better companion to share this experience with than Laura.

Oh, did I also mention that I expect to have a wonderful week of people watching as well? The hats that will be as distinctive in their style as the person that dons them; the plethora of whimsical mustaches and facial hair grooming, that the men will employ; and the boots, ah the boots! They will come in every imaginable color, style and type. I expect everything from broke-in and well-worn, with a few barnyard particles still attached; to hand-tooled ostrich skin. There will be traditional cowboy boots to packers, high heeled to low, fancy to plain. Not to mention the numerous pairs Laura and I will be sporting! And city-folk, think they have the market cornered on fashion! Humph! “Talk” to you from the road!

A couple of weeks ago, Oakwood University reported that one of its students, Nicole Frazier, had been selected to attend the Obama Inauguration as a University Presidential Inaugural Scholar.

This is her story.
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Wow! That’s the only word I can think of to describe this amazing experience. I was blessed to be a University Presidential Inaugural Scholar for this 2009 Inauguration. The program was incredible and lasted five days. Five thousand university students were chosen to participate in this grand occasion from all over the world. The first night of the program, the Inaugural Scholars got the opportunity to meet and greet. There were so many different people and countries represented. Luke Russert, the late Tim Russert’s son and co-host of the show “60/20 Sports”, spoke on the power of youth.

All of the Inaugural Scholars were guests at state-of-the-art hotels. I stayed in the Omni Shoreham Hotel, which was phenomenal. On the second day of the program, we were guests at the University of Maryland where General Colin Powell spoke. His regal, yet down-to-earth presence shocked me. He greeted the crowd and began a very organized and interesting speech.

General Powell spoke on leadership and the keys to being an effective leader. He mentioned that good leaders possess several qualities. They have vision, which they translate into goals. They organize themselves by measuring their strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of their opponents. They organize their forces, realize that they must sometimes make difficult decisions and that failure is probable, but a learning experience. He focused on one aspect of leadership—effective leaders understand that leadership is about followers.

After the lecture, we went to the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel for lectures. I attended the press panel where we got to ask a panel of journalists from the NY Times, NBC, ABC, and CNN questions. This was very informative, but I wish it was longer. I later went to a presentation by James Carville (Democratic Strategist/CNN) and his wife Mary Matalin (Republican Strategist/Former Presidential Adviser). This lecture was interesting and filled with many debates on issues like immigration, taxes, and youth community involvement.

After the headliner, the inaugural scholars headed toward the inaugural celebration on the National Mall. There were an estimated 1.4 million people in attendance. It was so crowded that people pressed together from the Lincoln Memorial past the reflection pool, the Veteran’s Memorial, all the way to the Capitol building. During the inaugural celebration, we enjoyed performances by John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, U2, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Usher, and others.

On Monday, we were special guests at a presentation by Al Gore at the University of Maryland. I really thought he would be stiff, but he was interesting and full of humor. He spoke on global warming, politics, and how we can positively impact the environment. After Al Gore’s speech, we went to two more presentations of our choice. I went to a presentation by Jon Seaton (Managing Partner/East Meridian Strategies) and Sarah Simmons (Director of Strategy for McCain’s campaign) out of curiosity. Their presentations were informative. One of the most interesting presentations for me was that of Robert Pinsky (pictured), the former U.S. Poet Laureate. His presentation was on the power and significance of self-expression in a democracy. I was able to speak with him and get an autograph and picture.

Inauguration Day was spectacular. I will always cherish the memories of that day. Not only was I able to witness the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States of America, but I was able to experience and participate in the feelings of optimism and jubilation. The crowds were ecstatic. There was energy in the air and a sense of American pride that was intense and unimaginable. On inauguration day, I got up at 1 a.m. and headed for the metro station with some friends. As I stood in the bitter cold among the ecstatic crowds, my thoughts rushed to the significance of that joyous occasion. Not only was this occasion significant to me because I am African American, but it signified a change in American politics and the way of thinking, as well as the role of youth as vital elements of change. There were so many people that even though we arrived early, we were only able to watch the festivities on a jumbotron. Even though the crowd was pressed together, people weren’t concerned with the many differences we had such as nationality, race, religion, or political views. We were truly one. As the festivities proceeded, the crowd increased with energy and zeal, especially when President Obama spoke. When the festivities had commenced, the same warmth could be felt as everyone made their way back.

I scarcely had time to rest because the Black-Tie Gala was hours away. My roommate and I quickly rotated dominating the restroom and getting ready. Finally, we got into the bus and headed towards the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Traffic was so heavy that, although we left the hotel at 6:30 p.m., we didn’t arrive until 9:00 p.m. Most of the roads were blocked, and the total city was chaotic but exciting. My friends and I decided to go to the Hirshhorn first. There was music, food, and beautiful abstract artwork. The evening was spectacular. After spending some time in the Hirshhorn, we went to the Smithsonian where there was a live band, airplanes, naval equipment, and artwork. I enjoyed this experience and would not trade it for anything. The friendships I made were priceless.

As I reflect back on my experience in Washington D.C., the words of President Obama ring in my ear. “It’s not a liberal America or conservative America, but it’s the United States of America.” Truly, I am proud to be part of this great country. I hope that the new administration, along with us—the people of this great nation—will work hard to restore America. As a young adult, I vow to be a part of this restoration process. In the words of J.F. Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Just after Christmas my friend Anne invited me to join her on a road trip to Elko, Nevada, in the middle of winter. Elko is in the Great Basin, and winter temperatures peak at what we Northern Californians consider bone-chilling lows. So--what's in Elko during the last week of January?

Since 1985, Elko has been home to the annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering. This--perhaps unknown--bit of culture is nonetheless a big, wholesome slice of all-American pie. Poets and musicians, craftspeople and cowboys, ranchers
and scholars, storytellers and artists, filmmakers and piano players, all gather to celebrate a unique bit of western culture.

I was first introduced to cowboy poets by my husband Max, who loves all things western. What's the draw? The myth--or code--of the west might be defined as romantic, in a moral sense. This is a world of old-fashioned right and wrong, of ethical behavior that might seem dated in our urban-centric modern culture. But the "cowboy way" is also laced with
self-deprecating irony and big dollops of humor.

True-to-form, when I asked Max if he would accompany Anne and I, he declined. Not because this isn't something we've wanted to do for years, not because he wouldn't love to go, but because his commitment to his job and his personal integrity would not allow him to take time off work just for fun. In true cowboy lingo, he said "No, you girls go. Have fun. And tell Anne, I ride for the brand!"

We leave in less than a week. We've decided to go all out, girl-style, and take at least three changes of clothes--all western wear--per day. Lest this be a mere Thelma-and-Louise style jaunt (I hope we make it home alive!), we have given ourselves assignments.

Anne, a travel-writer (among other things; I'll let her introduce herself to you) plans, naturally, to write. I'm a graphic designer, and the art director for Spectrum magazine; I plan to shoot lots of photos and try to capture the look and feel of this other world.

Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, has invited us to blog our trip, and let her know if there is any spiritual content to cowboy poetry. I believe I can already answer Yes; but I'll be keeping my ears open and let you know the temperature of the spirit that we find, in Elko, in the middle of the winter.