I want a cowboy. Someone who will wake up early and put on button-up flannel just to watch the sunrise under the cool blanket of a fresh morning with me. Someone who doesn’t mind getting his Levis a little dirty and spending some time with nature. Someone who wears boots because they are more practical, not because they look cool, and works hard because he knows it’s worth it. I want the curve of the brim of his hat to match the curve of his muscular shoulder, and his polished smile to match the shine of his belt buckle. I want a man who is not afraid to take the bull by the horns, or challenge the wilderness of the great outdoors. A man whose muscles are toned from heavy work and whose skin is hot and olive from the sun. A man who is actually sensitive to love and creativity because he listens to country music lyrics instead of rap. A man who will drive me around in the passenger seat of his truck, which is beat-up and in need of a paint job. But he likes it that way.
So you can keep your Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Have fun with your Vans-and-tight-jeans guys, and your clueless-to-a-woman’s-feelings gentlemen. Keep your video-game-playing, must-have-the-latest-iPhone man, and I’ll go two-stepping with a man who looses himself in nature and hard work, not technology and self-image. Have fun on your trips to the mall, and your typical dinner/movie dates, and I’ll have a midnight picnic under a sea of diamonds with a more creative person. You can keep the quarterback of the football team, and the one that’s good with an electric guitar. You can ride to prom in a limo, and I’ll go in a rusty pick-up. You can have as many five-star restaurant meals as you wish, but a bag of chips and a jar of salsa shared on the front porch will always be better. You can have your pink, bubbly champagne. I think I’ll take a beer. I want a man who appreciates my quirks, and doesn’t criticize when I walk around with bare feet, or get a little dirt on my clothes. I want a man who can teach me to ride a horse, and who makes me get back on the saddle when I fall off. I want a man who lives for the simplicity of life, and doesn’t have to try to be a gentleman. Like I said, I want a cowboy.